The Central State Museum of Kazakhstan is both the oldest and largest museum in the country. With an area of 17,557 m² and more than 300,000 objects, it spans diverse fields: paleontology, archaeology, and ethnography. You'll find it in the heart of Almaty, Kazakhstan's second-largest city.

A Brief History

The first collections took shape in the 1920s, displayed across various museums. In 1931, the institution moved into Almaty's former cathedral and later incorporated the collection of the republican anti-religious museum.

The museum relocated to its current building in 1985. It became a research institution in 2005, enabling it to conduct historical expeditions and expand its activities. In 2006, it participated for the first time in Museum Night.

What to See at the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan?

The collections are organized across 7 exhibition halls.

The Paleontology and Archaeology Hall

This is the museum's first section. You'll discover objects from more than 300 sites across Uzbekistan: fish and insect remains, osteological materials, petrified tree fragments, ancient spores and pollen.

The archaeology section features reconstructions of funeral and ceremonial buildings, examples of medieval architecture, and dioramas created from authentic remains.

The Historical Ethnography Hall

This hall traces traditional Kazakh culture: 18th–19th century weapons, jewelry, carpets, embroidery, and clothing. You can also step into a full-scale yurt, authentically furnished.

Two pieces stand out in particular:

• gold-thread embroidery created by Fatima, wife of Zhangir, the last khan of Bukeevskaya Orda,
• the military dress of the sultan of Arystan, decorated with Quranic verses.

The Hall on History and Ethnography of Peoples Who Lived in Kazakhstan

This space focuses on the history and culture of the diverse communities that inhabited Kazakhstan's territory, including Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Germans, Chechens, Circassians, Turks, Kurds, and others. The collection includes rare photographs, documents, household objects, and more. An exhibition on Kazakhstan during World War II is also presented here.

The Modern Kazakhstan Hall

This space presents Kazakhstan's history since independence in 1991. Among its display cases are the republic's emblem, national flag, postage stamps, banknotes, and more. Objects representing the country's economic, healthcare, educational, cultural, scientific, and sporting development are also preserved here.

The Golden Archaeological Objects Hall

This hall's collection features gold objects discovered in kurgans (burial mounds) spanning the 7th–6th centuries BCE—marking the beginning of the nomadic era—through the 1st–2nd centuries CE. You'll also see remains of treasures and monuments from the Otrar-Karatau culture (4th–5th centuries CE).

The Anthropology Hall

It takes you back to ancient human times and reveals the story of human development from prehistory through the dawn of civilization, as well as the ethno-genetic history of the Kazakh nation.

The Nikolai Gavrilovich Khludov Hall

Nikolai Gavrilovich Khludov (1850–1935) was an eminent Russian painter, ethnographer, and historian who settled in Kazakhstan in 1879. His artistic work focused primarily on the traditional culture of the Kazakh people and the splendor of local landscapes. The hall dedicated to his works houses no fewer than 200 paintings.

Practical Information

Opening Hours

The Central State Museum of Kazakhstan is open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM every day except Tuesday.

Admission Prices

Basic admission to the museum is 100 tenge (approximately €0.20). Additional fees apply for premium sections, including the golden artifacts hall of significant value (1,300 tenge), the Nikolai Gavrilovich Khludov paintings collection (1,000 tenge), and the anthropology section (1,000 tenge).

Location

The Central State Museum of Kazakhstan sits in downtown Almaty, 1,100 meters from Abai metro station. Address: Samal-1, 44, Almaty 050059.