ASTANA—Aktau will be designated the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2025, marking a significant milestone for the city and its residents. This new status is expected to bring numerous cultural and developmental opportunities. What events will be held, and how will this impact the city’s growth? According to Tengrinews, which inquired with the Aktau akimat (city administration), preparations are already underway for various cultural and sports events.
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Planned events include concerts featuring classical and folk music, photo and painting exhibitions, theater troupe festivals, performances by music and dance groups, along with appearances by other artists across the Turkic world.
The city will also host a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Ministers of Culture of Turkic-speaking countries, folklore festivals, contests, aitys (national composing competitions), international forums, symposiums for artists and sculptors, scientific and practical conferences and guided tours of historical sites and attractions.
While the event schedule is still being finalized, the cost of the festivities has yet to be determined.
“Many events will showcase Kazakh culture, allowing guests and participants to experience our customs and tradition,” reads the message from the akimat. “Aktau’s favorable geographical location makes it a key driver of Kazakhstan’s tourism growth, particularly in marine and beach tourism. The region’s tourism potential is anchored by the Caspian Sea, with a seaside season lasting three to six months.”
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The Mangystau Region occupies a strategic location at the crossroads of international transport corridors connecting the south and north, as well as the west and east. Aktau, the regional center, is Kazakhstan’s only seaport. Two major international transport corridors, TRACECA and North-South, pass through the Mangystau Region.
In 2023, the region attracted 390,000 tourists, including 346,000 who visited Aktau. Of these, 306,000 were Kazakh citizens and 84,000 were foreigners. This represents a 25% increase compared to 2022. The akimat predicts that due to the expansion of resort areas and services, the number of tourists could increase by 2.5 times.
Azamat Sarsenbayev, a blogger from Aktau, shared that he has mixed feelings.
“On one hand, being named the capital of the Turkic world is exciting and inspiring. I hope it attracts tourists who will appreciate the natural beauty of Mangystau and the city’s infrastructure. But when I compare this to the EXPO-2017 in Astana, I worry that without significant infrastructural changes—such as creating parks, attractions and art installations that leave a lasting impact—spending money on concerts and events alone seems pointless,” said Sarsenbayev.
“I really hope that within a year, something meaningful will be built in Aktau specifically for this event. These structures should not only commemorate the occasion but also remain as lasting features that citizens can enjoy and interact with long after the event is over,” he added.
The decision to name Aktau the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2025 was made during the 40th meeting of the member states of the International Organization for the Development of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), held in Shusha, Azerbaijan, on Oct. 13-14 last year.
Following the meeting, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev noted that Aktau was selected due to its rich historical heritage and numerous monuments that represent the shared cultural legacy of the entire Turkic world.
“Previously, Astana and Turkistan served as the capitals of the Turkic World in Kazakhstan. I have no doubt that Aktau will uphold the honor. The global community will see and learn about Tirkic traditions and the bonds that unite the fraternal Turkic people. At TURKSOY, our duty is to promote and spread the common Turkic culture worldwide, and we are fully committed to this mission,” said Raev.
