Hazret Sultan Mosque, on the southern axis of the New Astana ceremonial plan, is the largest mosque in Central Asia by capacity. Completed in 2012, it can hold around 10,000 worshippers across its prayer halls. The design is intentionally traditional — turquoise domes, four 77-metre minarets, white marble, decorative tilework drawn from the great mausoleums of Samarkand and Bukhara — and forms a deliberate counterpoint to the futuristic glass-and-steel architecture nearby.
Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times. Dress modestly: long sleeves and trousers for men, headscarves and covered shoulders for women (loaners are available at the entrance). The interior is calm and restrained, with a vast chandelier hanging over the central prayer hall and bands of Quranic calligraphy lining the walls. Allow about 30 minutes.