Bayterek
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Bayterek (Kazakh: Бəйтерек) , from the Kazakh for "tall poplar tree", is a new monument in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
"Bayterek" has become a popular tourist attaction with visitors and native Kazakhstanis alike, symbolizing the new status of the young capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. The top of the complex structure is a gilt sphere crowning a mythological tree of 97 meters.
The philosophy of "Bayterek" is that it embodies a legend about a magic bird of happiness. The bird, named Samruk, laid its egg in the crevice between two branches of a poplar tree. Bayterek translates into Kazakh as "a tall poplar".
From its height it is possible to see much of the newly built city. One point of interest is an imprint of the palm of the President of the country, Nursultan Nazarbaev. It bears a plaque wishing visitors to place their own hand in his imprint and to make a wish.
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