For many centuries horse-riding peoples populated the steppes to the north of today's Almaty
and the green hills to the south but the city itself - formerly known as 'Alma-Ata' - is not
even 180 years old. Its initial development was closely linked to the expansion of the Russian
Empire. Today Almaty is Kazakhstan's largest metropolis a vibrant milieu where the encounter
between different cultures is also reflected in the architecture. Orthodox cathedrals and
mosques Soviet Neoclassicism and monumental mosaic art Brutalism and brand-new skyscrapers:
this book presents more than 100 buildings from the past and present. Author Edda Schlager has
spent two decades in Almaty covering the transformation of the city and the country as a
journalist for international media. Critical essays by and interviews with local actors
contribute to her broad kaleidoscopic panorama of one of the most fascinating Central Asian
metropolises.
