Shymkent
Kazakhstan
One of Kazakhstan's three cities of republican significance, Shymkent is a large southern city with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants and a history rooted in the ancient Silk Road. Close to the Uzbekistan border and well connected by air and rail, it draws on a culturally mixed population of Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and others — a legacy of its long role as a regional crossroads. It held the title of CIS Cultural Capital in 2020.
- Population1,200,000
- Nearest water from center3.1 km
- Nearest mountain from center9.1 km