View source for Almaty

{{Short description|Largest city in Kazakhstan}}
{{About|the city|the region|Almaty Region}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Almaty
| native_name        = Алматы
| native_name_lang   = kk
| official_name      = 
| other_name         = 
| settlement_type    = [[City of republican significance (Kazakhstan)|City of republican significance]]
| image_skyline      = {{Multiple image
  | perrow = 1/2/2/2/1
  | border = infobox
  | total_width = 280
  | caption_align = center
 |image1                = Panfilov Street.jpg
 |caption1              = [[Panfilov Street Esplanade]]
 |image2                = Зелёный базар в Алматы (Казахстан).jpg
 |caption2              = [[Green Bazar]]
 |image3                = Accession Cathedral, Almaty (1).jpg
 |caption3              = [[Ascension Cathedral, Almaty|Ascension Cathedral]]
 |image4                = Kok Tobe cablecar.jpg
 |caption4             = [[Kok Tobe]] cable car
 |image5               = Высокогорный известный ледовый каток Медеу.jpg
 |caption5             = [[Medeu]]
 |image6               = Kok Tobe, Kazakhstan.jpg
 |caption6             = [[Almaty Tower]]
 |image7               = Nurly Tau (AP4M2448 1PS) (28456673904).jpg
 |caption7             = [[Nurly Tau Business Center]]
 }}
| image_flag         = Flag of Almaty.svg
| image_seal         = 
| image_shield       = Coat of arms of Almaty.svg
| nicknames="Southern Capital", "Apple City", "Big Apple", "ALA"
| motto              = 
| image_map          = Almaty (city) in Kazakhstan.svg
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Kazakhstan#Continental Asia
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kazakhstan
| coordinates        = {{Coord|43|14|N|76|57|E|region:KZ|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[Kazakhstan]]
<!--
| subdivision_type1      = [[List of former sovereign states|Historical country]]
| subdivision_name1      = {{flag|Soviet Union}}
| subdivision_type2      = [[Republics of the Soviet Union|Republic]]
| subdivision_name2      = {{flag|Russian SFSR|1918}} (1929–1936)<br />{{flag|Kazakh SSR}} (1936–1991)
| subdivision_type3      = [[Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republics|Autonomous republic]]
| subdivision_name3      = {{flagicon image|Flag of The Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920-36).svg}} [[Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic|Kazakh ASSR]]-->| established_title  = First settled
| established_date   = 1000–801 BC
| established_title2 = Founded
| established_date2  = 1854
| established_title3 = Incorporated (city)
| established_date3  = 1867
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Akim of Almaty|Akim]]
| leader_name        = [[Darhan Satybaldy]]
| governing_body     = [[Almaty City Mäslihat|City Mäslihat]]
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 752
| area_land_km2      = 
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_metro_km2     = 9395
| parts_type         = Subdivisions
| parts              = 8 districts
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_min_m    = 500
| elevation_max_m    = 1700
| population_total   = 2,249,500<ref name="Stat">{{cite web |url=https://stat.gov.kz/api/getFile/?docId=ESTAT403351 |title=Об изменении численности населения города Алматы с начала 2020 года до 1 января 2021 года |publisher=Комитет по статистике Министерства национальной экономики Республики Казахстан |access-date=17 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525192030/https://stat.gov.kz/api/getFile/?docId=ESTAT403351 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| population_note  = City of republican<br />significance
| population_as_of   = 1 April 2024
| population_rank   = [[List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan|1st in Kazakhstan]]
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=KAZAKHSTAN: Administrative Division |url=https://citypopulation.de/php/kazakhstan-admin.php |website=citypopulation.de |access-date=20 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121121741/https://citypopulation.de/php/kazakhstan-admin.php |archive-date=21 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = 7750
| population_urban   = 
| population_metro   = 
| demographics_type2 = GDP {{Nobold|(Nominal, 2024)}}
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name=":dosm">{{Cite web |last=DOSM |title= Gross domestic product by region for January-December 2024 (GRP) |url= https://stat.gov.kz/en/industries/economy/national-accounts/publications/367813|website=stat.gov.kz}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = [[City of republican significance (Kazakhstan)|City of republican significance]]
| demographics2_info1 = [[Kazakhstani tenge|KZT]] 29,241 billion<br />([[US$]] 61.406 billion) · [[List of regions of Kazakhstan by GDP|1st]]
| demographics2_title2 = Per capita
| demographics2_info2 = KZT 12,936,300<br />(US$ 27,166) · [[List of regions of Kazakhstan by GDP|2nd]]
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 050000–050063
| area_code          = +7 727<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.almaly.almaty.kz/page.php?page_id=93&lang=2&news_id=483 |title=Code of Access |publisher=Almaly.almaty.kz |access-date=2 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814121849/http://www.almaly.almaty.kz/page.php?page_id=93&lang=2&news_id=483 |archive-date=14 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022)
| blank_info_sec1    = 0.831<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{cite web |url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab |website=hdi.globaldatalab.org |language=en |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |archive-date=23 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />{{color|green|very high}} · [[List of regions of Kazakhstan by Human Development Index|1st]]
| timezone           = [[UTC+5]]
| utc_offset         = +5
| timezone_DST       = 
| utc_offset_DST     = 
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:KZ|ALA]]
| registration_plate = '''02''' ('''A''' – on older plates)
| blank2_name        = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank2_info        = Dfa
| website            = 
}}
'''Almaty'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|æ|l|ˈ|m|ɑː|t|i}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Almaty Definition & Meaning |url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Almaty |website=Britannica Dictionary |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=17 June 2023 |archive-date=17 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617035412/https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Almaty |url-status=live }}</ref> or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|l|m|ə|t|i}};<ref>{{Dictionary.com|Almaty|accessdate=16 June 2023}}</ref> {{langx|kk|Алматы}} / {{lang|kk-Latn|Almaty|italics=no}}, {{IPA|kk|ɑɫmɑˈtʰə|audio=Kk-almaty.ogg|IPA}}; {{langx|ru|Алматы}}, {{IPA|ru|ɐɫˌma ɐˈta|IPA}}}} is the [[List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan|largest city]] in [[Kazakhstan]], with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area.<ref name="stats-cmtte-2017">{{cite web |date=4 January 2018 |title=Об изменении численности населения Республики Казахстан с начала 2017 года до 1 декабря 2017 года (Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan ... to 1 December 2017) |url=http://stat.gov.kz/getImg?id=ESTAT245798 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123072319/http://stat.gov.kz/getImg?id=ESTAT245798 |archive-date=23 January 2018 |access-date=22 January 2018 |publisher=Stat.gov.kz |language=ru}}</ref> Located in the foothills of the [[Trans-Ili Alatau]] mountains in southern Kazakhstan, near the border with [[Kyrgyzstan]], Almaty stands as a pivotal center of [[culture]], [[commerce]], [[finance]] and [[innovation]]. The city is nestled at an elevation of 700–900 metres (2,300–3,000 feet), with the [[Big Almaty (river)|Big Almaty]] and [[Small Almaty (river)|Small Almaty]] rivers running through it, originating from the surrounding mountains and flowing into the plains. Almaty is the second-largest city in [[Central Asia]] and the fourth-largest in the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS).

Almaty served as the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1991 during the Soviet era and after independence from 1991 until the capital was relocated to [[Astana|Akmola]] (now Astana) in 1997.<ref name="KazStat">{{cite web |title=Население |url=http://stat.kz/digital/naselsenie/Pages/default.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104134552/http://stat.kz/DIGITAL/NASELSENIE/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=4 January 2013 |access-date=11 January 2013 |publisher=Stat.kz}}</ref> Despite no longer being the capital, Almaty remains the most cosmopolitan and influential city in Kazakhstan, often regarded as the nation's cultural and financial heart, and is colloquially referred to as the "Southern Capital". It is classified as a [[City of republican significance (Kazakhstan)|city of republican significance]], granting it autonomy from regional governance.<ref name="Brummell">{{cite book |last1=Brummell |first1=Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ux5eDwAAQBAJ |title=Kazakhstan |last2=Oleynik |first2=Maria |date=2018 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |isbn=978-1-78477-092-1 |page=26 |language=en |access-date=27 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628015608/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ux5eDwAAQBAJ |archive-date=28 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The city is divided into eight administrative districts within the framework of its republican significance.

Almaty has hosted international events, including the Alma-Ata Primary Healthcare Conference in 1978, which shaped global public health policy, the [[2011 Asian Winter Games]], and the [[2017 Winter Universiade]]. The city was also a contender to host the [[2022 Winter Olympics]], further solidifying its position as an international hub for [[winter sports]], but ultimately lost the bid to [[Beijing]].

Almaty is served by an extensive transportation network, including [[Almaty International Airport]], the busiest in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, handling over 9.5 million passengers annually. The city is also served by the [[Almaty Metro]], opened in 2011. Additionally, buses and trolleybuses contribute to the city's comprehensive public transport system.

Almaty’s proximity to natural attractions such as the [[Ile-Alatau National Park]], with its diverse ecosystems and scenic trails, and [[Big Almaty Lake]], makes it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, the city's close proximity to [[Medeu]], the highest-altitude [[ice rink]] in the world, and [[Shymbulak]] ski resort, contributes to Almaty’s reputation as a major tourism hub for adventure and outdoor activities.

A member of the UNESCO [[Creative Cities Network]] since 2017 in the field of [[music]], Almaty is renowned for its cultural contributions. It is also classified as a [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network#Gamma +|Gamma&nbsp;+&nbsp;level]] [[global city]] by the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]], underscoring its economic and regional significance.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Almaty included into network of the creative cities of UNESCO |url=https://bnews.kz/en/news/almaty_included_into_network_of_the_creative_cities_of_unesco |access-date=3 October 2018 |language=ru}}{{dead link|date=January 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824031341/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |archive-date=August 24, 2020 |access-date=2021-11-14 |website=lboro.ac.uk |publisher=[[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]]}}</ref> Almaty is celebrated for its green spaces, with numerous urban parks, tree-lined streets, and fountains, contributing to its reputation as one of the greenest cities in the region. The city’s skyline blends historical Soviet-era buildings with modern skyscrapers, symbolizing its ongoing economic development and evolving identity.

Key landmarks and attractions in Almaty include the [[Central State Museum of Kazakhstan]], [[Ascension Cathedral, Almaty|Ascension Cathedral]], [[Green Bazar|Green Bazaar]], [[Arbat (Almaty)|Arbat]], and [[Kök Töbe (recreation area)|Kök Töbe]], a hilltop destination offering panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains. The city is also home to prestigious educational institutions such as [[Al-Farabi Kazakh National University]], the [[Kazakh-British Technical University]], the [[International Information Technology University]], and [[Narxoz University]].

== Status ==
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2024}}
From 1929 to 1936, the city, then known as Alma-Ata, was the capital of the [[Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic|Kazakh ASSR]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=70 YEARS TO BE THE MAIN |url=https://e-history.kz/en/news/show/7005 |access-date=7 June 2023 |website=e-history.kz |date=24 March 2017 |language=en |archive-date=7 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607025531/https://e-history.kz/en/news/show/7005 |url-status=live }}</ref> From 1936 to 1991, Alma-Ata was the capital of the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]]. After Kazakhstan became independent in 1991, the city was renamed Almaty in 1993 and continued as the capital until 1997, when the capital was moved to Akmola (renamed Astana in 1998,<ref>{{cite web |title=Kazakhstan: President suggests renaming the country |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26082740 |website=BBC |date=7 February 2014 |access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Nur-Sultan in 2019, and again [[Astana]] in 2022). Since then Almaty has been referred to as the "southern capital" of Kazakhstan.

Almaty remains the largest, most developed, and most ethnically and culturally diverse city in [[Kazakhstan]]. Due to development by the Soviet Union and relocation of workers and industries from European areas of the Soviet Union during [[World War II]], the city has a high proportion of [[Russians|ethnic Russians]] and [[Uyghurs]]. The city lies in the foothills of [[Trans-Ili Alatau]] (or Zailiysky Alatau) in the extreme south-east.

It has a relatively mild climate with warm and dry summers and quite cold winters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Almaty Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Kazakhstan) – Weather Spark |url=https://weatherspark.com/y/108859/Average-Weather-in-Almaty-Kazakhstan-Year-Round |access-date=7 June 2023 |website=weatherspark.com |language=en |archive-date=7 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607025530/https://weatherspark.com/y/108859/Average-Weather-in-Almaty-Kazakhstan-Year-Round |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the city is in a tectonically active area, it has an endemic risk of [[earthquake]]s. Although most tremors do not cause any significant damage, Almaty has suffered some large destructive earthquakes.

== Etymology ==
The name ''Almaty'' has its roots in the medieval settlement ''Almatau'', that existed near the present-day city. A disputed theory holds that the name is derived from the [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] word for 'apple' (алма), and is often translated as "full of apples". Its former name, Alma-Ata, translates to “father of the apples,”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kiniry |first=Laura |date=22 September 2023 |title=Saving the Apple's Ancient Ancestor in the Forests of Kazakhstan |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/saving-the-apples-ancient-ancestor-in-the-forests-of-kazakhstan-180983493/ |access-date=22 June 2025 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en-US }}</ref> Its present name could be a pluralization of one of the Turkic words for "father". It was mentioned in the 16th century [[Baburnama]] under the spelling ''Almatu'' ({{langx|chg|الماتو}}).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schluessel |first=Eric |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/maize/images/mpub10110094.pdf |title=An Introduction to Chaghatay: A Graded Textbook for Reading Central Asian Sources |date=2018 |publisher=[[Michigan Publishing]] |pages=89–105 |chapter=Chapter 11: Babur’s Description of Ferghana |chapter-url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/maize/images/mpub10110094.pdf#page=124}}</ref>

Originally it was Almatau which means Apple Mountain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pasha |first=Muhammad Ali |date=18 August 2022 |title=Kazakhstan – Motherland of Apples |url=https://thegulfobserver.com/kazakhstan809/ |access-date=11 May 2023 |website=The Gulf Observer |language=en-US |archive-date=11 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511064855/https://thegulfobserver.com/kazakhstan809/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://weproject.kz/en/articles/detail/history-and-meaning-of-the-city-names-in-kazakhstan/ |title=History and meaning of the city names in Kazakhstan – статьи, истории, публикации {{!}} WEproject |website=weproject.kz |language=ru |access-date=25 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925132634/http://weproject.kz/en/articles/detail/history-and-meaning-of-the-city-names-in-kazakhstan/ |archive-date=25 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> There is great [[genetic diversity]] among the wild apples in the region surrounding Almaty; the region west of the [[Tian Shan]] mountains is thought to be the apple's ancestral home. The wild ''[[Malus sieversii]]'' is considered a likely candidate for the ancestor of the modern domestic apple.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2961/ |last=Nabhan |first=Gary Paul |title=The Fatherland of Apples |date=May–June 2008 |work=Orion Magazine |access-date=4 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923222708/http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2961/ |archive-date=23 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== History ==
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2024}}
{{See also|Timeline of Almaty}}

=== Prehistoric Almaty ===
During 1000–900 BC in the [[Bronze Age]], the first farmers and cattle-breeders established settlements in the territory of Almaty.<ref name="history" /> During the [[Saka]] period (from 700 BC to the beginning of the Christian era), these lands were occupied by the Saka and later [[Wusun]] tribes, who inhabited the territory north of the [[Tian Shan]] mountain range with evidence of these times found in the numerous burial mounds ([[Tumulus|tumuli]]) and ancient settlements, especially the giant burial mounds of the Saka tsars. The most famous archaeological finds have been "The Golden Man", also known as "The Golden Warrior", from the [[Issyk Kurgan]]; the Zhalauly treasure, the [[Kargaly, Zhambyl District|Kargaly]] diadem, and the [[Jetisu|Zhetysu]] arts bronzes (boilers, lamps, and altars). During the period of Saka and Wusun governance, Almaty became an early education center.<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=http://www.almaty.kz/page.php?page_id=384&lang=2 |title=History of Almaty |publisher=Almaty.kz |access-date=2 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119190828/http://www.almaty.kz/page.php?page_id=384&lang=2 |archive-date=19 January 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 12th–15th centuries ===

The region comprising modern Almaty and its surroundings was ruled by the [[Qara Khitai]] during the 12th century until they were invaded by the Mongol empire in 1218.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=May |editor1-first=Timothy |editor2-last=Hope |editor2-first=Michael |title=The Mongol World |date=2022-05-25 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-03-224483-9 |pages=137–146 |edition=1st |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781315165172/mongol-world-timothy-may-michael-hope |language=English |chapter=7 |doi=10.4324/9781315165172 }}</ref> It remained under the Mongols until the disintegration of the empire at the end of the century after which the region continued to be a part of the subsequent Chagatai Khanate, or later the breakaway Moghulistan.

This region was an important trade route between the West and East, with cities like Taraz to the west and Almaliq to the east as major stopping points. The importance declined during the 15th century though, due to Temür’s attacks and him shifting the trade routes southwards, whereafter Tarim basin became the centre for Moghulistan. Wars with Timur, Bukhara Khanate and Kazakh Khanate decreased Moghul’s rule in Transoxonia over the 15th century and by early 16th century, the Almaty region came under the Kazakh rule.

=== 16th–18th centuries ===

The [[Dzungar people|Dzungar]] invaded, dominating the Kazakh people for a period. The Kazakhs fought to protect their land and preserve independence. In 1730 the Kazakh defeated the Dzungar in the Anyrakay mountains, {{convert|70|km|mi|round=5|abbr=off}} northwest of Almaty. The Senior Kazakh Horde (Uly Zhuz) held jurisdiction over the region. During the eighteenth century, the city and region were roughly near the border of the [[Khanate of Kokand]]. It was then absorbed as part of the Russian Empire in the 1850s.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

=== Foundation of Verny ===
[[File:Zenkov cathedral.jpg|thumb|[[Ascension Cathedral, Almaty|Zenkov Cathedral]], a 19th-century [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] cathedral located in Panfilov Park, is the fourth tallest wooden building in the world.<ref>Ness, Immanuel. ''Encyclopedia of World Cities''. M E Sharpe Reference, 1999. {{ISBN|0-7656-8017-3}}. Page 19.</ref>]]
[[File:Акимат Алматы на Площади Республики. Июль, 2015 года.JPG|thumb|223x223px|Town Hall on Republic Square]]
[[File:Eternal Flame World War II monument. Almaty, Kazakhstan.jpg|left|thumb|World War II monument "Feat" in Park of the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen]]
To establish its control of the region, Russia built '''Fort Zailiyskoe''' ({{langx|ru|Заилийское}}) between the Bolshaya and Malenkaya Almatinka rivers. Construction began on 4 February 1854 and was largely completed by autumn. The fort was a pentagonal wooden palisade with one side built along the Malaya Almatinka. Before the end of the year, it was renamed '''Fort Vernoe''' ({{lang|ru|Верное}}, "Loyal"), sometimes rendered as Vyernoe at the time.<ref>{{citation |last= |first= |location= |publisher= |date=1881 |volume=XII |edition=9th |title=[[:s:EB9|Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |contribution=[[:s:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Ili|Ili]] }}.</ref> The palisade was eventually replaced with a brick wall with embrasures. The fort's main facilities were erected around the large central square for training and parading.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lyakhov.kz:80/semirek/studies/150chron.shtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108013547/http://lyakhov.kz/semirek/studies/150chron.shtml|url-status=dead|title=Очерки истории Алматы &#124; Lyakhov.KZ - БЭК|archivedate=8 January 2009|website=lyakhov.kz}}</ref>

In 1867, the settlement around the fort was large enough that it was reorganized as the town of '''Almatinsk''' ({{lang|ru|Алматинск}}). Before the end of the year, this was renamed '''Verny''' ({{lang|ru|Верный}}, {{translit|ru|Vernyj}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://almaty.gov.kz/page.php?page_id=384&lang=2&wptouch_preview_theme=enabled |title=History of Almaty |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925180853/http://almaty.gov.kz/page.php?page_id=384&lang=2&wptouch_preview_theme=enabled |archive-date=25 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 28 May 1887, at 4 a.m., an [[1887 Verny earthquake|earthquake]] almost totally destroyed Verny in 11–12 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kazakhstan.orexca.com/almaty_history.shtml |title=History of Almaty :: Echoes of Past Centuries. Almaty history. The city of Almaty |website=kazakhstan.orexca.com |language=en |access-date=25 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925132437/https://kazakhstan.orexca.com/almaty_history.shtml |archive-date=25 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

By 1906 the population of the city had grown to 27,000, two-thirds of whom were Russians and Ukrainians.<ref>{{cite web |title=Almaty |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Almaty-Kazakhstan#ref64731 |website=Britannica |access-date=17 April 2025}}</ref>

On 3 January 1911 the city was almost completely destroyed with over 770 brick buildings collapsing as a result of the [[1911 Kebin earthquake]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Today in Earthquake History |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/today/index.php?month=1&day=3&submit=View+Date |website=earthquake.usgs.gov |access-date=3 January 2024 |archive-date=23 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123144720/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/today/index.php?month=1&day=3&submit=View%2BDate |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Soviet era ===
[[File:Opera in Almaty.JPG|thumb|227x227px|The Almaty Opera Building]]In 1918 following the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Bolshevik government, [[Soviet (council)|Soviet]] power was established in Verny. The city and the region became part of the [[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]] (RSFSR).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Как переносили столицу из Кзыл-Орды в Алма-Ату – Аналитический интернет-журнал Vласть |url=https://vlast.kz/istorija/30916-kak-perenosili-stolicu-iz-kzyl-ordy-v-alma-atu.html |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=vlast.kz |language=ru |archive-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412104654/https://vlast.kz/istorija/30916-kak-perenosili-stolicu-iz-kzyl-ordy-v-alma-atu.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 5 February 1921, Verny was renamed Alma-Ata, one of the city's ancient names, by a joint consultation of regional government representatives, professional trade associations, and local faith-based groups.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ахметов |first=Альберт |date=5 February 2021 |title=100 лет назад Верный стал Алма-Атой: Как это было |url=https://www.zakon.kz/5056817-100-let-nazad-vernyy-stal-alma-atoy-kak.html |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=zakon.kz |language=ru |archive-date=9 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309165548/https://www.zakon.kz/5056817-100-let-nazad-vernyy-stal-alma-atoy-kak.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1926, the Council of Labor and Defence approved the construction of the [[Turkestan–Siberia Railway]] that was a crucial element of the future growth of Kazakhstan, especially in the east and southeast of the region. The Turkestan–Siberia Railway construction also had a decisive economic impact that strongly influenced the destiny of Alma-Ata as the capital of the [[Kazakh ASSR]]. In 1930 the construction of the highway and railway to Alma-Ata was completed.<ref name=":0" />

On 29 April 1927, the government decided to transfer the capital of the [[Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]] from [[Kyzyl-Orda]] to Alma-Ata, within the RFSFR.<ref name=":0" /> This attracted more trade and people working with the government, stimulating intensive development in the city.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

On 31 January 1928, [[Leon Trotsky]], leader of the 1917 [[October Revolution]], accompanied by his wife [[Natalia Sedova]] and his son [[Lev Sedov]], was exiled to Alma-Ata by [[Joseph Stalin]], then head of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]] in Moscow. Trotsky was expelled from Alma-Ata to Turkey in February 1929 and went into exile in Mexico City.

The Alma-Ata airport was opened in 1930,<ref>{{Cite web |title=История авиации Алматы.Теги: обсуждение истории развития; изучение биографии авиаторов; история авиации. |url=http://aviaengeneer.ru/istoriya-aviatcii-almaty |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=aviaengeneer.ru |language=ru-RU |archive-date=4 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704043821/http://aviaengeneer.ru/istoriya-aviatcii-almaty |url-status=live }}</ref> opening up a direct connection from Alma-Ata to [[Moscow]], the center of the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Soviet government]]. Alma-Ata became the main entry by air to [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakhstan]], a status which it retains today. Transformation of this small town into the capital of the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]] was accelerated by the large-scale construction of new administrative and government facilities and housing. The [[Great Purge]] of 1936–38 extended to [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakhstan]], where numerous intellectuals, activists, leaders, teachers and others were killed. [[Government of the Soviet Union|The Soviet government]] dominated the population. During the 1930s [[Kazakhs|Kazakh]] nomads suffered [[Kazakh famine of 1931–1933|starvation]] after disruption of their traditional living patterns. (see: [[Kazakh famine of 1931–1933|Asharshylyq]])

In 1936 the Architecture and Planning Bureau developed a plan to enhance Alma-Ata as the new cultural capital of the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]]. The plan was based on the existing rectangular system of districts. They were to be strengthened and reconstructed.

==== World War II ====
During [[World War II]] the government dramatically affected the city's population and structures. To better organize the home front and concentrate industrial and material resources, the government evacuated 26,000 people and numerous industries from the European theatre of war.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Эвакуация населения и промышленности из западныз районов СССР в Северо-Казахстанскую область (1941–1943 гг.) |url=https://e-history.kz/ru/history-of-kazakhstan/show/9274/ |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=e-history.kz |date=10 October 2013 |language=ru |archive-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412083759/https://e-history.kz/ru/history-of-kazakhstan/show/9274/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Alma-Ata hosted over 30 industrial facilities removed from the European section of [[Soviet Union|the USSR]], eight evacuated hospitals, 15 institutes, universities and technical schools; and around 20 cultural institutions. [[Motion picture production company|Motion picture production companies]] from [[Leningrad]], [[Kyiv]], and [[Moscow]] were also moved to Alma-Ata at this time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=История театра {{!}} Государственный театр кукол |url=https://puppet.kz/ru/about/history |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=puppet.kz |language=ru |archive-date=11 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411184510/https://puppet.kz/ru/about/history |url-status=live }}</ref> This brought in so many [[Russians|ethnic Russians]] that the [[Kazakhs]] became a [[Minority group|minority]] in the region.

==== Industrialization ====
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2012}}

During the years 1941–1945 the industrial potential of the city increased significantly. Development increased during the postwar years. The population of the city grew from 104,000 in 1919 to 365,000 in 1968. By 1967 the city had 145 enterprises, with the bulk of these being light and food industries.

The main industries in Alma-Ata were: food processing (36% of gross industrial output), based largely on locally abundant fruit and vegetable raw materials, light industry (31%), and heavy industry (33%). The main products of the region were:
* '''Food:''' Meat, flour and cereals (pasta factory), milk, [[wine]]s, canned fruit, tobacco, confectionery, alcoholic spirits, [[beer]], yeast, and tea (packaging)
* '''Light industry:''' textiles, fur, knitting, [[carpet]]s, footwear, apparel, printing, and the Almaty Cotton combine.
* '''Heavy industry:''' electrical engineering, foundry engineering, car repair, bearing repair, building materials, woodworking, concrete structures and structural elements, and housebuilding.

==== Urban development ====
[[File:International conference on Primary Health Care - Conferencia Internacional sobre Atención Primaria de Salud - Almaty -1978.jpg|thumb|227x227px|
The International conference on Primary Health Care in 1978, known as the Alma-Ata Declaration
]]
From 1966 to 1971, 1,400,000 square metres of [[Public housing|public]] and [[Housing cooperative|cooperative housing]] were built. Annually, around 300,000 square metres of dwellings were under construction. Most of the buildings constructed during this time were [[Seismic analysis|earthquake-proof]] multi-story buildings. The Soviet government tried to diversify architectural forms to create a more varied cityscape. During this period, many schools, hospitals, cultural, and entertainment facilities were constructed, including Lenin's Palace, the [[Hotel Kazakhstan|Kazakhstan Hotel]], and the [[Medeo]] Sports Complex.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Спортивный комплекс Медеу в Алматы |url=http://alnaz.ru/almaty/medeu.html |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=alnaz.ru |archive-date=30 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330110124/http://alnaz.ru/almaty/medeu.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The supersonic transport [[Tupolev]] [[Tu-144]] went into service on 26 December 1975, carrying mail and freight between Moscow and Alma-Ata in preparation for passenger services; these began in November 1977. The Aeroflot flight on 1 June 1978 was the 55th and last scheduled passenger flight of the Tu-144.

Alma-Ata was the host city for a 1978 international conference on [[Primary Health Care]]. The [[Alma Ata Declaration]] was adopted, marking a paradigm shift in global public health.

On 16 December 1986, the [[Jeltoqsan]] riot took place in the [[Republic Square, Almaty|Brezhnev Square]] (now Republic Square) in response to General Secretary [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]'s dismissal of [[Dinmukhamed Kunayev]].<ref>"Nationalist riots in Kazakhstan: Violent nationalist riots erupted in Alma-Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan, on 17 and 18 December 1986"</ref>

On 7 September 1988, the subway [[Almaty Metro]] project started construction; the subway was opened on 1 December 2011 after 23 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zakon.kz/site_main_news/4460872-v-almaty-otkrylsja-metropoliten.html |title=В Алматы открылся Метрополитен (фото) |date=December 2011 |publisher=Zakon.kz |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132616/http://www.zakon.kz/site_main_news/4460872-v-almaty-otkrylsja-metropoliten.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Post-independence ===
Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 16 December 1991 ([[Kazakhstan Independence Day]]). On 28 January 1993, the government renamed the city from the Russian ''Alma-Ata'' to the Kazakh name ''Almaty''.<ref name="gov.kz-hist">{{cite web |url=https://almaty.gov.kz/page.php?page_id=384&lang=2 |title=History of Almaty |access-date=6 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406225820/https://almaty.gov.kz/page.php?page_id=384&lang=2 |archive-date=6 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1997 the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] approved the decree to transfer the capital from Almaty to Astana in the north of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.akorda.kz/www/www_akorda_kz.nsf/sections?OpenForm&id_doc=80696F88AC705680462572340019E5CD&lang=en|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126184729/http://www.akorda.kz/www/www_akorda_kz.nsf/sections?OpenForm&id_doc=80696F88AC705680462572340019E5CD&lang=en|url-status=dead|title=Бастапқы бет — Қазақстан Республикасы Президентінің ресми сайты|archivedate=26 November 2007}}</ref>

On 1 July 1998 a law was passed to establish the special status of Almaty as a scientific, cultural, historical, financial, and industrial centre.<ref name="gov.kz-hist" />
[[File:Trolleybus in Almaty.JPG|thumb|Trolleybus in Almaty city]]
[[File:Smog over Almaty.jpg|thumbnail|left|Picture taken during a temperature [[Inversion (meteorology)|inversion]], showing smog trapped over Almaty]]

The new general plan of Almaty for 2030 was released in 1998. It is intended to create ecologically safe, secure, and socially comfortable living conditions in the city. The main objective is to promote Almaty's image as a garden-city.

It proposes continued multi-storied and single-housing development, reorganization of industrial districts or territories, improving transport infrastructure, and expanding the [[Almaty Metro]]. The first line of the Almaty metro was launched on 1 December 2011, two weeks ahead of schedule. The extension of the line to Qalqaman was opened in 2015.

Nevertheless, Almaty has developed a major problem with [[air pollution]]. Already in 1995, [[particulate emissions]], then mostly from the city's [[thermal power station]], exceeded Kazakh and EU standards by over 20 times.<ref>{{cite report |title=Almaty Air Quality Study (TA 2262-Kaz) |author=CRE Group |year=1995 |page=i |publisher=[[Asian Development Bank]] |access-date=22 January 2018 |url=https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/72714/28427-kaz-tacr.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072342/https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/72714/28427-kaz-tacr.pdf |archive-date=22 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, Almaty was ranked the 9th most polluted city in the world.<ref name="mercerairpollution">{{cite news |title=Almaty is one of ten most polluted cities in the world |publisher=Kazakhstan Today |date=5 March 2008 |access-date=22 January 2018 |url=http://www.kt.kz/eng/ecology/almaty_is_one_of_ten_most_polluted_cities_in_the_world_1153441869.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072549/http://www.kt.kz/eng/ecology/almaty_is_one_of_ten_most_polluted_cities_in_the_world_1153441869.html |archive-date=22 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> A 2013 study identified cars as a major source of pollution, and it was noted since 2003 and 2013 [[morbidity]] had increased by a factor of 1.5, and that the city takes the first place in the republic on respiratory, endocrine and blood diseases, cancer and [[bronchial asthma]], even though there are no major industrial installations.<ref name="pollutionstudy2013">{{cite journal |last1=Carlsen |first1=Lars |last2=Baimatova |first2=Nassiba |last3=Kenessov |first3=Bulat |last4=Kenessova |first4=Olga |title=Assessment of the Air Quality of Almaty. Focussing on the Traffic Component |journal=International Journal of Biology and Chemistry |year=2013 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=49–69 |url=http://ijbch.kaznu.kz/index.php/kaznu/article/view/82/38 |access-date=21 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122074229/http://ijbch.kaznu.kz/index.php/kaznu/article/view/82/38 |archive-date=22 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> An independent local air quality monitoring system with a mobile app was launched in 2017.<ref name="auanews">{{cite news |last=Shatayeva |first=Lyazzat |title=New App Helps Almaty Residents Monitor Air Quality |work=Astana Times |access-date=22 January 2018 |date=2 February 2017 |url=https://astanatimes.com/2017/02/new-app-helps-almaty-residents-monitor-air-quality/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072732/https://astanatimes.com/2017/02/new-app-helps-almaty-residents-monitor-air-quality/ |archive-date=22 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auasite">{{cite web |title=Almaty Urban Air |publisher=auagroup.kz |access-date=22 January 2018 |url=http://almatyurbanair.kz/?l=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072335/http://almatyurbanair.kz/?l=en |archive-date=22 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Alfarabi3.jpg|thumb|218x218px|Al-Farabi Avenue]]

The area of the city has been expanded during recent years with the annexation of the suburban settlements of Kalkaman, Kok Tobe, [[Gorniy Gigant District]] (Mountain Giant). Numerous apartment blocks and office [[skyscraper]]s have transformed the face of the town, which has been built into the mountains. [[Squatting in Kazakhstan|Squatter settlements]] such as Shanyrak have resisted eviction in the face of these development plans.<ref name="CoA">{{cite journal |last1=Alexander |first1=Catherine |date=June 2018 |title=Homeless in the homeland: Housing protests in Kazakhstan |journal=Critique of Anthropology |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=204–220 |doi=10.1177/0308275x18758872 |s2cid=148583852 |url=http://dro.dur.ac.uk/22051/1/22051.pdf |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-date=21 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221090849/http://dro.dur.ac.uk/22051/1/22051.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Almaty was the site of [[2016 shooting of Almaty police officers|a notorious terrorist attack]] in July 2016, when [[Jihadism|Jihadist]] Ruslan Kulikbayev killed eight police officers and two civilians in a shootout and car chase. Kulikbayev was wounded during the shootout and later sentenced to death for the attack.

In March 2020, the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://informburo.kz/stati/koronavirus-v-kazahstane-hronologiya-sobytiy-den-pervyy.html |title=Коронавирус в Казахстане: хронология событий. День первый |website=informburo.kz |date=13 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2023 |archive-date=2 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702174505/https://informburo.kz/stati/koronavirus-v-kazahstane-hronologiya-sobytiy-den-pervyy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Soon, Almaty was transformed, as the pandemic led the city into a changed behavior. The government imposed lockdowns of most institutions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://en.currenttime.tv/a/30716996.html |title=As Kazakhstan's COVID-19 Infections Rise, The City Of Almaty Struggles To Bury Its Dead |website=Current Time English |date=9 July 2020 |access-date=11 March 2023 |archive-date=24 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224201148/https://en.currenttime.tv/a/30716996.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2022, Almaty was plunged into [[2022 Kazakhstan unrest|unrest as part of a national political crisis]].<ref>{{cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=Kazakhstan protests: government resigns amid rare outbreak of unrest |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/kazakhstan-president-declares-state-of-emergency-in-protest-hit-areas |access-date=5 January 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105122522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/kazakhstan-president-declares-state-of-emergency-in-protest-hit-areas |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/central-asia/kazakhstan-protests-news-live-almaty-b1987361.html |title=Kazakhstan protests: Russia sends in troops to stop deadly uprising |work=The Independent |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105182935/https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/central-asia/kazakhstan-protests-news-live-almaty-b1987361.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Picheta |first=Rob |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/asia/kazakhstan-fuel-protests-emergency-wednesday-intl/index.html |title=Russia-led military alliance CSTO will send 'peacekeepers' to protest-hit Kazakhstan, Armenian PM says |date=5 January 2022 |publisher=CNN |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105223148/https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/asia/kazakhstan-fuel-protests-emergency-wednesday-intl/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.intellinews.com/fake-news-conflicting-reports-of-shooting-in-almaty-as-the-russian-and-kazakh-governments-appear-to-be-manipulating-reporting-for-their-own-agendas-231003/ |title=Fake news? Conflicting reports of shooting in Almaty as Russian and Kazakh governments appear to manipulate reporting for own agendas |publisher= BNE Intellinews |date=25 March 2021 |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106170358/https://www.intellinews.com/fake-news-conflicting-reports-of-shooting-in-almaty-as-the-russian-and-kazakh-governments-appear-to-be-manipulating-reporting-for-their-own-agendas-231003/?source=kazakhstan |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Administrative divisions ==
[[File:Alma-Ata NK-43 (1948) - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|Map of Almaty (labeled as ALMA-ATA) and surrounding region from the [[International Map of the World]] (1948)]]
[[File:Almaty districts.svg|right|thumb|200 px|Almaty city districts]]
There are 8 official Almaty city districts :
<span style="background:#ffb2b6;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Alatau district]]<br />
<span style="background:#ffe9b2;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Almaly district]]<br />
<span style="background:#feffcc;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Auezov district]]<br />
<span style="background:#ccffb2;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Bostandyk district]]<br />
<span style="background:#b2fff1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Jetysu district]]<br />
<span style="background:#cce5ff;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Medeu district]]<br />
<span style="background:#cfccff;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Nauryzbay district]]<br />
<span style="background:#ffbffc;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [[Turksib district]]

== Geography ==
Almaty is located in south-eastern Kazakhstan, almost 1000&nbsp;km from the capital Astana. Kyrgyzstan's capital [[Bishkek]] is 190&nbsp;km to the west, while [[Ürümqi]] in China is almost 1000&nbsp;km east.

The region is also home to the [[Mynzhylky mountain plateau|Mynjylky mountain plateau]], an elevated plain located at the source of the Malaya Almaatinka river at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level.

=== Climate ===
Almaty has a [[Humid continental climate#Hot/warm summer subtype|humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Dfa'') with hot summers and cold winters. It is characterized by the influence of [[Mountain breeze and valley breeze|mountain–valley circulation]]. This is especially evident in the northern part of the city, located directly in the transition zone of the mountain slopes to the plains.

Annual average air temperature is equal to {{convert|10|°C|0|abbr=on}}, the coldest month is January, {{convert|-4.7|°C|0|abbr=on}} (on average), the warmest month (July) {{convert|23.8|°C|0|abbr=on}} (on average). In average years frost starts on about 14 October and ends on about 18 April, with sustained extreme cold from about 19 December to about 23 February, a period of about 67 days. Weather with temperature above {{convert|30|°C|0|abbr=on}} is average for about 36 days a year. In the center of Almaty, like any large city, there is a [[heat island]]. Therefore, frost in the city center starts about 7 days later and finishes 3 days earlier than in the northern suburbs. Annual precipitation is about {{convert|650|to|700|mm|1|abbr=on}}. April and May are the wettest months, during which about a third of the city's annual precipitation is received.

It is not uncommon to see snow or a cold snap hitting Almaty as late as the end of May. For example, in the last quarter century, such snowfalls were recorded on 13 May 1985, 1 May 1989, 5 May 1993 and 18 May 1998. The record latest snowfall in Almaty was on 17 June 1987.

Almaty sometimes experiences winter rain, despite heavy preceding snowfall and low temperatures. The most memorable winter rain took place on 16 December 1996 during a military parade to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic.

Almaty Weather Station's GM mostly records south-easterly wind (30%), its resistance increases during the summer (37%) and falls in winter (19%). Wind speeds exceed 15&nbsp;m/s on about 15 days a year, on average.
{{Weather box
| location = Almaty (1991–2020, extremes 1879–present)
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 16.8
| Feb record high C = 21.9
| Mar record high C = 29.8
| Apr record high C = 33.2
| May record high C = 35.8
| Jun record high C = 39.3
| Jul record high C = 41.7
| Aug record high C = 40.5
| Sep record high C = 38.1
| Oct record high C = 31.4
| Nov record high C = 26.5
| Dec record high C = 19.2
| year record high C = 41.7
| Jan high C = 0.5
| Feb high C = 2.7
| Mar high C = 9.9
| Apr high C = 17.8
| May high C = 22.9
| Jun high C = 27.9
| Jul high C = 30.5
| Aug high C = 29.7
| Sep high C = 24.5
| Oct high C = 16.9
| Nov high C = 8.1
| Dec high C = 2.0
| year high C = 16.1
| Jan mean C = -4.6
| Feb mean C = -2.4
| Mar mean C = 4.5
| Apr mean C = 12.1
| May mean C = 17.1
| Jun mean C = 22.1
| Jul mean C = 24.4
| Aug mean C = 23.3
| Sep mean C = 18.0
| Oct mean C = 10.6
| Nov mean C = 2.9
| Dec mean C = -2.7
| year mean C = 10.4
| Jan low C = -8.1
| Feb low C = -6.2
| Mar low C = -0.2
| Apr low C = 6.8
| May low C = 11.5
| Jun low C = 16.4
| Jul low C = 18.6
| Aug low C = 17.3
| Sep low C = 12.0
| Oct low C = 5.3
| Nov low C = -1.0
| Dec low C = -6.1
| year low C = 5.5
| Jan record low C = -30.1
| Feb record low C = -37.7
| Mar record low C = -24.8
| Apr record low C = -10.9
| May record low C = -7.0
| Jun record low C = 2.0
| Jul record low C = 7.3
| Aug record low C = 4.7
| Sep record low C = -3.0
| Oct record low C = -11.9
| Nov record low C = -34.1
| Dec record low C = -31.8
| year record low C = -37.7
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 34.7
| Feb precipitation mm = 42.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 72.4
| Apr precipitation mm = 112.4
| May precipitation mm = 98.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 59.0
| Jul precipitation mm = 42.9
| Aug precipitation mm = 33.5
| Sep precipitation mm = 27.8
| Oct precipitation mm = 49.8
| Nov precipitation mm = 55.3
| Dec precipitation mm = 44.3
| year precipitation mm = 
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 6.2
| Feb precipitation days = 6.7
| Mar precipitation days = 9.2
| Apr precipitation days = 10.3
| May precipitation days = 9.3
| Jun precipitation days = 7.4
| Jul precipitation days = 7.0
| Aug precipitation days = 4.5
| Sep precipitation days = 3.4
| Oct precipitation days = 5.7
| Nov precipitation days = 6.7
| Dec precipitation days = 6.7
| year precipitation days = 83.1
| Jan snow depth cm = 15
| Feb snow depth cm = 14
| Mar snow depth cm = 5
| Apr snow depth cm = 0
| May snow depth cm = 0
| Jun snow depth cm = 0
| Jul snow depth cm = 0
| Aug snow depth cm = 0
| Sep snow depth cm = 0
| Oct snow depth cm = 1
| Nov snow depth cm = 2
| Dec snow depth cm = 8
| year snow depth cm = 15
| Jan humidity = 77
| Feb humidity = 79
| Mar humidity = 71
| Apr humidity = 59
| May humidity = 56
| Jun humidity = 49
| Jul humidity = 46
| Aug humidity = 45
| Sep humidity = 49
| Oct humidity = 64
| Nov humidity = 74
| Dec humidity = 79
| year humidity = 62
| Jan dew point C = -14.9
| Feb dew point C = -12.1
| Mar dew point C = -5.0
| Apr dew point C = 1.1
| May dew point C = 5.7
| Jun dew point C = 8.1
| Jul dew point C = 9.0
| Aug dew point C = 7.9
| Sep dew point C = 4.1
| Oct dew point C = -0.5
| Nov dew point C = -6.4
| Dec dew point C = -12.7
| year dew point C = 
| Jan rain days = 4
| Feb rain days = 5
| Mar rain days = 11
| Apr rain days = 14
| May rain days = 15
| Jun rain days = 15
| Jul rain days = 15
| Aug rain days = 10
| Sep rain days = 9
| Oct rain days = 10
| Nov rain days = 8
| Dec rain days = 6
| year rain days = 122
| Jan snow days = 11
| Feb snow days = 13
| Mar snow days = 8
| Apr snow days = 2
| May snow days = 0.2
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0.1
| Oct snow days = 2
| Nov snow days = 6
| Dec snow days = 11
| year snow days = 53
| Jan sun = 112.0
| Feb sun = 119.0
| Mar sun = 163.0
| Apr sun = 187.8
| May sun = 235.3
| Jun sun = 260.0
| Jul sun = 280.3
| Aug sun = 277.7
| Sep sun = 243.6
| Oct sun = 188.9
| Nov sun = 116.6
| Dec sun = 94.0
| year sun = 2278.2
| source 1 = Pogoda.ru<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/36870.htm |title=Climate of Almaty |publisher=Погода и Климат |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214034648/http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/36870.htm |archive-date=14 February 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[NOAA]],<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Kazakhstan/XLS/ALMATYOGMS_36870.xls |title=Almaty Climate Normals 1991–2020 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=20 November 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120054700/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Kazakhstan/XLS/ALMATYOGMS_36870.xls |url-status=live }}</ref> Weather.Directory<ref name="Weather.Directory">
{{cite web|url=https://weather.directory/kz/almaty
|title= Almaty Weather & Climate Guide
|access-date= 16 Oct 2025
|website= Weather.Directory}}</ref>
}}

=== Seismic activity in the territory of Kazakhstan ===
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2013}}
Industrially developed and densely populated areas in the south and southeast of Kazakhstan are situated in the zones where the maximum magnitudes of expected earthquakes are from 6.0 to 8.3 (the intensity of I0=8–10).

The south seismic active zone of Kazakhstan is a part of the North Tian-Shan ridge system. The main city of Almaty is located near the Zailiski Alatau mountain base. In recorded history prior to the late 19th century, three catastrophic earthquakes are known to have taken place there. The following are the dates of occurrence and extracts from the historical chronicles of the times:

* 1770, "...Belovodka village was buried";
* 1807, "a horrible catastrophe took place in Almaty";
* 1865, strong earthquake.

Within the past 125 years, three more strong destructive earthquakes occurred here, with centres not more than {{convert|20-130|km|mi|round=5}} from the current city location. Their magnitudes were 9 and 11 on the MSK scale – 64, and their centres were located within {{convert|100|km|mi|round=5}}. Centres were located in a south and south–east directions:
* (1887 y., K=17.14) Vernenskoe
* (1889 y., K=19.12) Chilik
* (1911 y., K=18.76) Keminskoe

K – indicates the energy of the earthquake.

In each of these earthquakes, the city suffered wide destruction.<ref>(Baimakhan, Dashdorj, 2006)</ref>

The Territory of the Kyrgyz State adjoins North Tian-Shan.<ref>(Aitmatov, Kojogulov, Nikolskaya, 1994.).</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1897|22744|1926|45385|1939|230503|1959|457709|1970|729633|1979|909644|1989|1127884|1999|1129356|2009|1449696|2021|2030285|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/census.php|title=Приложение Демоскопа Weekly|website=www.demoscope.ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/kazakhstan-cities.htm|title=Cities & towns of Kazakhstan|website=pop-stat.mashke.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Results of the National Population Census 2021
|url=https://stat.gov.kz/en/national/2021/|publisher=Bureau of National Statistics (Kazakhstan)}}</ref>}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Ethnic Group
!colspan="2"|2021<ref name="census2021">{{cite web |url=https://stat.gov.kz/api/getFile/?docId=ESTAT464825 |title=2021 жылғы Қазақстан Республикасы халқының ұлттық санағының қорытындылары |trans-title=Results of the 2021 national census of the Republic of Kazakhstan |access-date=28 February 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902140633/https://stat.gov.kz/api/getFile/?docId=ESTAT464825 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=на начало 2025г. - Бюро национальной статистики Агентства по стратегическому планированию и реформам Республики Казахстан |url=https://stat.gov.kz/ru/industries/social-statistics/demography/publications/281562/ |access-date=7 June 2023 |website=stat.gov.kz |language=ru |archive-date=7 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607023937/https://stat.gov.kz/ru/industries/social-statistics/demography/publications/6373/?sphrase_id=100111 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!Population
!%
!Population
!%
|-
|[[Kazakhs]]
|1,286,229
|63.35%
|1,471,393
|64.19%
|-
|[[Russians]]
|429,898
|20.48%
|428,952
|18.75%
|-
|[[Uyghurs]]
|112,753
|5.55%
|122,390
|5.34%
|-
|[[Koreans]]
|36,632
|1.80%
|39,211
|1.71%
|-
|[[Tatars]]
|30,449
|1.50%
|31,435
|1.37%
|-
|[[Ukrainians]]
|21,030
|1.04%
|21,184
|0.92%
|-
|[[Azeris]]
|18,890
|0.93%
|22,002
|0.96%
|-
|[[Dungans]]
|14,545
|0.72%
|18,156
|0.79%
|-
|[[Germans]]
|12,450
|0.61%
|12,775
|0.55%
|-
|[[Uzbeks]]
|11,445
|0.56%
|14,684
|0.64%
|-
|Other Ethnicity or Not Stated
|70,157
|3.45%
|108,927
|4.75%
|-
!Total
!2,030,285
!100%
!2,292,055
!100%
|}

=== Religion ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Religion
!colspan="2"|2021<ref name="census2021" />
|-
!Population
!%
|-
|[[Islam]]
|1,172,838
|57.77%
|-
|[[Christianity]]
|353,477
|17.41%
|-
|[[Irreligion|No Religion]]
|87,622
|4.32%
|-
|[[Buddhism]]
|4,452
|0.22%
|-
|[[Judaism]]
|2,184
|0.11%
|-
|Other Religion
|4,865
|0.24%
|-
|Not Stated
|404,847
|19.94%
|-
!Total
!2,030,285
!100%
|}

== Culture ==
Almaty is largely considered to be the heart and soul of Kazakhstan's classical and popular cultures.<ref name="alaheart">{{cite web |title=Almaty Arts & Culture |url=https://www.edgekz.com/what-to-do/almaty/arts-culture/ |website=edgekz |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=26 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026051833/https://www.edgekz.com/what-to-do/almaty/arts-culture/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Almaty Region and the city itself have a distinct character and pace compared to other regions and cities in Kazakhstan. Contemporary Almaty has a more European character due to more cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating and public green space.<ref name="contemporaryala">{{cite news |title=Almaty: An Emerging Destination For Global Travelers and a Center of Culture For Locals |agency=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephanrabimov/2018/07/18/almaty-emerging-destination-for-global-travelers-and-a-center-of-culture-for-locals/#718bbdd82b8e |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=25 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725035249/https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephanrabimov/2018/07/18/almaty-emerging-destination-for-global-travelers-and-a-center-of-culture-for-locals/#718bbdd82b8e |url-status=live}}</ref> Almaty is the historical and contemporary capital of intellectualism in Kazakhstan as a product of Almaty's location along the ancient Silk Road, and because many Russian intellectuals were exiled to the region.<ref name="kulug">{{cite journal |last1=Abdrakhmanova |first1=K.K. |title=The scientific and creative intelligence of Karlag: the historiographical aspect |url=http://rep.ksu.kz//handle/data/9694 |website=Karaganda State University Repository |date=30 January 2020 |publisher=Karaganda State University |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=25 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725040144/http://rep.ksu.kz//handle/data/9694 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Abay Opera House|Abai Kazakh State Opera and Ballet Theatre]] has anchored the city's theater scene since 1934 and was founded around a community of local performance artists.<ref name="gatob">{{cite web |title=Kazakh State Academic Theater named after Abay |url=http://www.gatob.kz/o-teatre/istoriya-teatra/ |website=gatob.kz |publisher=Kazakh State Academic Theater |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=26 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526160946/http://gatob.kz/o-teatre/istoriya-teatra/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts|Kasteyev State Museum of Arts]] was founded in 1935, is the largest museum in Kazakhstan, and has the largest collection of artworks by Kazakh classic and contemporary artists.<ref name="kasteyev_museo">{{cite web |title=A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts |url=https://www.gmirk.kz/en/ |website=gmirk.kz |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=30 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430193742/http://www.gmirk.kz/en/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The wild apple ''[[Malus sieversii]]'' is generally accepted as having first emerged in the Almaty area, and it significantly figures in Almaty's culture.<ref name="aport">{{cite news |title=I Went to the Fatherland of All Modern Apples |publisher=VICE |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-went-to-the-fatherland-of-all-modern-apples/ |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726163110/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qkx9yb/i-went-to-the-fatherland-of-all-modern-apples |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Theaters ===
[[File:Abai Theatre.jpg|thumb|273x273px|[[Abay Opera House]]]]
Theatrical art began to develop in the city of Verny a few years after the construction of the Russian fort. On 21 November 1872, the Society of Dramatic Art Lovers staged the first production in the city: [[Alexander Ostrovsky|A. N. Ostrovsky]]'s play, "[[Stay in Your Own Sled]]". Later, plays were performed at public, military, and commercial gatherings. An abridgement of [[Mikhail Glinka|Glinka]]'s opera "A Life for the Tsar" was the first opera staged in the city, by the Kolpakovsky three-year city school on 23 February 1913 at the Commercial Assembly, to commemorate the [[Romanov Tercentenary|tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty]].

The flowering of theatrical art in the city began during the Soviet period of Alma-Ata, resulting from the transfer of the capital of the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic]] from [[Kyzylorda]] to Alma-Ata. Thus, the Kazakh Drama Theater, the first Kazakh professional theater, moved to the city. In the 1930s, the Opera and Ballet Theater (1934) and the Puppet Theater (1935) were established in the city. Also, theater companies founded in different cities of the republic began to move to the capital: the [[Lermontov Russian Drama Theatre|Russian Drama Theater]] (moved from [[Semipalatinsk]] in 1934), the Uyghur Musical Comedy Theater (from Chilik, 1962), the [[Korean Theatre of Kazakhstan|Korean Musical Comedy Theater]] (from Kyzylorda, 1968), and the German Drama Theater (from Temirtau, 1989).

After Kazakhstan regained independence in 1991, a large number of new independent theaters appeared in the city. Often these are modern youth concert venues created by enthusiasts. They face funding problems, as maintaining a permanent theater company is costly.

=== Museums ===
[[File:Museum of Folk Instruments, Almaty.jpg|left|thumb|246x246px|[[Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments]]]]
A significant contribution to the study of the history of culture, ethnography of southern Kazakhs in the late 19th–20th centuries was made by Turkestan scientists and local historians, united around the scientific societies and cultural and educational institutions of [[Tashkent]]. In 1874, from the private collections of travelers who visited Semirechye with a scientific and regional purpose and with the help of the local intelligentsia, a museum was first created in the city of Verny, which was later transformed into a village museum of the Semirechye Cossack Host. This date is the day of the foundation of the first museum in Semirechye. The foundation of the A. Kasteev Museum of Arts was laid by the Kazakh State Art Gallery named after T.G. Shevchenko, founded in 1935. Its main tasks were to collect the best works of Kazakh artists and organize their creative business trips.

[[File:Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan.jpg|thumb|246x246px|[[Central State Museum of Kazakhstan]]]]
In 1936, museums in [[Moscow]] and [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] (now St. Petersburg) donated a significant number of paintings, graphics, sculpture and applied art to the gallery. By the end of the 1950s, the gallery's funds numbered over 5,000 exhibits, including paintings, reproductions of works by pre-revolutionary and Soviet artists, Western European and Eastern masters of art. In the 1970s and 1980s, new buildings were built for existing museums, and new thematic museums were opened: books, musical instruments, archeology, and others. A significant contribution to the development of the museum business was the opening of the Museum of the History of Almaty, which created an association of museums in the city of Almaty and the state institution "Gylym Ordasy", which united 4 museums, which allows to systematize scientific work.

=== Cinemas ===
The first film screening in the city of Verny took place in 1900, when the physicist K.O. Krause arrived in the city. On it, hand-painted glass transparencies were demonstrated with the help of an overhead projector. The film show took place on 25 January in the Pushkin Garden. In January 1911, the building of the first private cinema "Twentieth Century" was opened at the intersection of Pushkin and Gogol streets, which belonged to the entrepreneur A. R. Seifullin. For the demonstration of films, the cinema was equipped with the first power plant in the history of the city, produced by the British company "Petter", with 14 horsepower. The cinema building burned down in February 1918. Starting in the 1930s, summer cinemas began to appear in the parks of the city, which were later transformed into full-fledged cinemas. Thus, the Rodina Cinema was first opened in the [[Central Park (Almaty)|Central Park]] in 1937. In 1957, it was rebuilt from a seasonal venue into a wide-screen cinema with an auditorium for 712 seats. In another park of the city, the Park of the Federation of Soviet Republics, the Progress Cinema was opened, later renamed Alma-Ata. By the early 1990s, there were 21 cinemas in the city. All cinemas were divided into first, second and third screens. The cinemas of the first screen, in which the premieres of new films took place, were "Alatau", "Tselinny" and "Arman". Film films arrived at the cinemas of the third screen in a deplorable state, with glues and cuts. That is, the quality of showing the film depended on the screening of the cinema. Cinemas in the city were single-screen, two halls were owned by the cinema centers "Kazakhstan", "Arman" and "Tselinny". In the 2000s, cinemas began to open in shopping and entertainment centers, and as a result, existing stationary cinemas began to lose popularity and close.

== Economy ==
[[File:Almaty from hill (cropped).jpg|thumb|270px|View of Almaty from Kök-Töbe]]
Almaty generates approximately 20% of Kazakhstan's GDP (or $36 billion in 2010). The city accounts for about 20% of government revenues and 60% of bank credits.<ref>{{cite web |title=President: Almaty turns into large regional investment attractive centre |url=https://www.inform.kz/en/president-almaty-turns-into-large-regional-investment-attractive-centre_a3579997 |website=inform.kz |date=29 October 2019 |access-date=31 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030195947/https://www.inform.kz/en/president-almaty-turns-into-large-regional-investment-attractive-centre_a3579997 |archive-date=30 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The nation is the most powerful economically in [[Central Asia]] and Almaty is a key financial center. It is considered to be a [[Global city|Beta- Global City]] as of the 2012 [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network|GaWC]] study.<ref name="GaWC Intro">{{cite web |url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/gawcworlds.html |title=GaWC – The World According to GaWC |publisher=Lboro.ac.uk |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130081552/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/gawcworlds.html |archive-date=30 November 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

One of the largest industries in Almaty is finance, and its financial exports make it a large contributor to Kazakhstan's balance of payments. Almaty is home to [[Halyk Bank]], which is the largest bank in Central Asia, [[Kaspi Bank]], and other major banks. The [[Kazakhstan Stock Exchange]] is based in Almaty.

Almaty is also developing as a regional financial and business centre (RFCA).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalbank.kz/?docid=768&switch=english |title=National Bank of Kazakhstan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727101051/http://www.nationalbank.kz/?docid=768&switch=english |archive-date=27 July 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Under construction is the 'Almaty Financial District and Esentai Park'. This was designed by [[T.J. Gottesdiener]], who designed both [[7 World Trade Center]] in New York City and [[Tokyo Midtown]]. Its goal is to become the largest business centre in Central Asia. {{citation needed|date=August 2012}} Esentai Tower, a 37-floor building in the park, is the tallest mixed-use building in Kazakhstan, housing offices of companies such as [[Ernst & Young]], [[HSBC]] and [[Credit Suisse]]. The first Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kazakhstan opened in 2013 in Esentai Tower.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ritz-Carlton Plans Kazakhstan Debut by End of 2013 |url=http://www.satrapia.com/news/article/ritz-carlton-plans-kazakhstan-debut-by-end-of-2013/ |newspaper=The Gazette of Central Asia |date=4 December 2012 |publisher=Satrapia |access-date=5 December 2012 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109150934/http://gca.satrapia.com/+ritz-carlton-plans-kazakhstan-debut-by-end-of-2013+ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Along with professional services, media companies are concentrated in Almaty. The media distribution industry has been growing rapidly since 2006. Major broadcasting channels KTK and NTK are based in Almaty, as are several national newspapers.

There are plans to construct a Western Europe-Western China highway, passing through Almaty. A new airport in Almaty expects to handle about 45 million tonnes of cargo each year. [[Air Astana]] is headquartered in the Air Astana Centre 1 in Almaty.<ref>[http://www.airastana.com/kaz/gb/headoff Archived copy] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728115004/http://www.airastana.com/kaz/gb/headoff |date=28 July 2010}}</ref> Prior to their dissolution, [[Air Kazakhstan]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200068.html?search=%22Air%20Kazakhstan%22 |title=air jamaica &#124; 2004 &#124; 09 – 0068 &#124; Flight Archive |publisher=Flightglobal.com |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708171655/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200068.html?search=%22Air%20Kazakhstan%22 |archive-date=8 July 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Kazakhstan Airlines]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1995/1995%20-%200880.html?search=%22Kazakhstan%20Airlines%22 |title=1995 &#124; 0880 &#124; Flight Archive |publisher=Flightglobal.com |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708220050/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1995/1995%20-%200880.html?search=%22Kazakhstan%20Airlines%22 |archive-date=8 July 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> were also headquartered in Almaty.

The economy of Almaty and Almaty Region continues to grow, and is expected to increase by nearly 6.5 percent per year until 2020.<ref name=wb1>{{cite web |title=Keeping the Lights on in Kazakhstan's Largest City |url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2015/04/30/keeping-the-lights-on-in-kazakhstans-largest-city |website=worldbank.org |access-date=1 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503235449/http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2015/04/30/keeping-the-lights-on-in-kazakhstans-largest-city |archive-date=3 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> To mitigate the rapidly increasing electricity demand caused by this growth, the Kazakh authorities decided to upgrade the power system by building the new transmission line and modernizing the substations.<ref name="wb1" /> The Alma Transmission Project, supported by the World Bank, has helped achieve this goal.<ref name="wb1" />

== Cityscape ==
{{See also|Architecture of Almaty|List of tallest buildings in Almaty}}
[[File:Almaty, Kok-tobe exposition 2.jpg|centre|thumb|618x618px|Panoramic night view of Almaty from Kok-Tobe, 2012]]
In 1854, the Tsarist government built a military fortification on the left bank of the Almaty River. The construction was supervised by Major Peremyshelsky and engineer-lieutenant Aleksandrovsky. By the autumn of the same year, construction work was completed. With their arrival, the area of Almaty began to develop rapidly, and a few prominent buildings were constructed during this time including the Little Stanitsa and the Tatar Slobodka. A major earthquake in 1887 destroyed 1798 brick houses and killed 322 people. After the earthquake, numerous notable buildings were constructed including the House of the Regiment of Military Assembly (1908), [[Ascension Cathedral, Almaty|Ascension Cathedral]], the House of Public Assembly, and others. Paul Gourdet, who is credited for most of Almaty's urban architecture of the time, used an approach to design [[Russian Revival architecture]], which is evident in some of his designs including the Medical College, the Voznesensky Cathedral, the merchant Shakhvorostov's house, the former Women's College, the former City Orphanage, and numerous other buildings. Andrei Zenkov is another prominent architect and major contributor to some of Almaty's most notable buildings. At the time, Zenkov was in charge of the construction projects of the Semirechye regional government.

From 1966 to 1972, most of the buildings constructed during the era were earthquake-proof multi-story housing blocks. During this period, many schools, hospitals, cultural, and entertainment facilities were constructed in [[Postmodernism|post-modernist]] style, including Lenin's Palace (now [[Palace of the Republic, Almaty|Palace of the Republic]], 1970), [[Hotel Kazakhstan]] (1977) and the [[Medeu]] (1971).

=== Attractions ===
==== Churches ====
[[File:Ascention Cathedral in Almaty.jpg|thumb|224x224px|Ascension Cathedral in Almaty]]
* [[St. Sophia Cathedral (Almaty)]]
* The [[Ascension Cathedral, Almaty|Ascension Cathedral]] is a 56&nbsp;m high earthquake-resistant structure, built by the architect K. A. Borisoglebsky and engineer A. P. Zenkov in 1907 from blue Tien Shan [[spruce]]. It withstood an earthquake with a force of 10 points in 1911. The walls of the cathedral were painted by the local artist N. Khludov. During the Soviet period, the building housed a local history museum. In May 1995, the building was transferred to the [[Almaty and Semipalatinsk Diocese]] of the Russian Orthodox Church. After two years of restoration work, services were resumed in the church in 1997.

==== Fountains ====
According to the city's Department of Natural Resources and Resource Use Management,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.almatyeco.kz/1311 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070521220106/http://www.almatyeco.kz/1311 |url-status=dead |title=Заголовок :: Новости :: Департамент экологии Акимата г. Алматы – экол… |date=21 May 2007 |archive-date=21 May 2007 |access-date=23 October 2017}}</ref> {{As of|2007|lc=y}} the city had 125 fountains. Among them is the "Oriental Calendar" Fountain, whose 12 sculptural figures represent the 12 animals of the Kazakh 12-year animal cycle (similar to [[Earthly Branches|its Chinese counterpart]]).

There are now more than 120 fountains in Almaty, 61 of which are communally owned. Fountains, together with an extensive irrigation ditch network, play a big role in Alma-Ata – together they create a single complex of reservoirs and watercourses of the city. Every year at the end of spring, the city celebrates the "Day of Fountains" holiday where for the first time after winter, all the city's fountains are turned on. In 2006, a new fountain was opened on [[Sayram Lake|Lake Sayran]]. Previously, the highest fountain in the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS) gushed from this lake – a stream of water 10&nbsp;cm in diameter reached a height of 50 meters. The fountain has been closed since 2008.<gallery widths="140" heights="110">
File:Fontan in the park kz.jpg|Fountain in First President's Park
File:The Zodiac Fountain in Almaty Kazakhstan.jpg|Zodiac Fountain
File:Kabanbai Batyr Street 85, Almaty, Kazakhstan - panoramio (1).jpg|Nedelka Prospect
File:Fountains in Republic Square Almaty -2.jpg|Fountains in [[Republic Square, Almaty|Republic Square]]
File:Almaty Fountain 2007.JPG|Fountain in [[Abai Square]]
File:ALA Vostok calendar.JPG|East Fountain
</gallery>

=== Recreation ===

==== Medeu ====
[[File:Medeo.jpg|thumb|Medeu]]
The [[Medeu]] is an outdoor [[speed skating]] and [[bandy]] rink. It is located in a mountain valley (Medeu Valley, or the valley of Malaya Alma-Atinka River) on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, [[Kazakhstan]]. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest skating rinks in the world. It has 10,500 square meters of ice and utilizes a sophisticated freezing and watering system to ensure the quality of the ice.

Medeu was built in 1972 in the gorge of the same name, 15&nbsp;km from the city. "Medeo" was called "the factory of records", since 126 world records were set on the ice of a high-mountain skating rink in 33 years. A unique feature of the ice rink, located at an altitude of 1700&nbsp;m, in thin air and high quality ice, provided by pure mountain water without admixture of salts. In addition, Above the sports complex there is a mudflow protection dam and the [[Shymbulak]]. In the 1990s, the Medeu was the venue for the Voice of Asia international music festival (Asia Dauysy).

==== Şymbūlaq ====
[[Shymbulak|Şymbūlaq]] is a [[ski resort]] near Almaty, located in the upper part of the Medeu Valley in the [[Zailiisky Alatau]] mountain range, at the elevation of 2,200 metres (7,200&nbsp;ft) above sea level. The resort area is about 25 kilometres (16&nbsp;mi) south of Almaty city by the [[Medeu]] road. It is popular for its mild climate, a large quantity of sunny days and a great amount of snow through the winter (from November until May). The resort offers both day and night skiing. The ski resort also hold a Guinness world record for the worlds highest ski slope available for night skiing.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://astanatimes.com/2023/03/shymbulak-mountain-resort-enters-guinness-book-of-records-as-worlds-highest-night-skiing-slope/#:~:text=The%20Astana%20Times-,Shymbulak%20Mountain%20Resort%20Enters%20Guinness%20Book%20of,World%27s%20Highest%20Night%20Skiing%20Slope&text=ASTANA%20%E2%80%93%20Almaty%27s%20Shymbulak%20mountain%20resort,reported%20the%20resort%27s%20press%20service | title=Shymbulak Mountain Resort Enters Guinness Book of Records as World's Highest Night Skiing Slope | work=The Astana Times | date=27 March 2023 | access-date=15 June 2024 | archive-date=24 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624081047/https://astanatimes.com/2023/03/shymbulak-mountain-resort-enters-guinness-book-of-records-as-worlds-highest-night-skiing-slope/#:~:text=The%20Astana%20Times-,Shymbulak%20Mountain%20Resort%20Enters%20Guinness%20Book%20of,World%27s%20Highest%20Night%20Skiing%20Slope&text=ASTANA%20%E2%80%93%20Almaty%27s%20Shymbulak%20mountain%20resort,reported%20the%20resort%27s%20press%20service | url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Big Almaty Lake ====
[[Big Almaty Lake]] is a natural lake located in [[Trans-Ili Alatau]] mountains on 2511 above the sea level near Almaty (15&nbsp;km South from Almaty).
Like a majority of lakes in Trans-Ili Alatau, this lake formed as the result of an earthquake. The lake is a major source of drinking water for the region. People can access the lake by car (approximately 1 hour drive from the city center), bike, or hiking (approximately a half-day trip).

==== First President's Park ====
[[File:Entrance to The Park of the First President of Kazakhstan panoramic view - panoramio.jpg|thumb|377x377px|Entrance to the First President's Park, 2010]]
The [[First President's Park]] is an urban park located in Almaty at the intersection of Navoi Street and Al-Farabi Avenue in the [[Bostandyq District]]. The park was opened in July 2010.

Creation of the park began in 2001. The park is broken into three main areas–the avenue, boulevard, and dendrological areas. Greenery was planted according to dendrological plan. In honor of the participation of the city of Almaty in the Olympic torch relay of the [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympic Games]], approximately one hundred spruces and birches were planted. In 2011, a hundred Tien-Shan spruces were also planted. Plans include a set of water projects over an area of 9.5 hectares.

==== Kok Tobe Tower ====
[[File:Башня коктобе1.jpg|left|thumb|178x178px|Almaty Tower]]
An [[aerial tramway]] line connects Almaty with a [[Kók Tóbe Park|popular recreation area]] at the top of [[Kok Tobe|Kök Töbe]] ({{langx|kk|Көк-төбе}}, which means 'Blue Hill'), a mountain just to the southeast. It has a variety of tourist attractions, such as a zoo, amusement-park-style rides and restaurants.

The city television tower, [[Almaty Tower]], is located on the hill. It was built in between 1978 and 1983, and is 371.5 m tall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Almaty Tower |url=https://samarkandtours.com/kazakhstan/almaty/kok-tobe-hill/ |access-date=26 December 2020 |website=Samarkand Tours Operator |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109150857/https://samarkandtours.com/kazakhstan/almaty/kok-tobe-hill/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The TV tower, located at an altitude of 1000&nbsp;m above sea level, is the tallest structure in Almaty. Its height is almost 372&nbsp;m, and it sits at an elevation of 1130&nbsp;m. The base of the tower is a reinforced concrete foundation in the form of a three-storey sectional basement. The barrel of the tower is a metal stepped hexahedron with a diameter of 18&nbsp;m at the base, 13 and 9&nbsp;m at the locations of maintenance services at heights of 146 and 252&nbsp;m. The structure was built taking into account the seismic mountainous terrain and can withstand an earthquake of up to 10 points. The television tower is a complex of an operating radio and television transmitting station with a special mode of operation, therefore it is inaccessible for sightseeing tours of the city from a height. The tower, illuminated at night by powerful searchlights, is visible from almost anywhere in the city.

==== Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen ====
The [[Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen]] is a major park in Almaty, [[Kazakhstan]]. The park is located in east-central Almaty in the area surrounding Zenkov Cathedral. It is dedicated to and named after the Panfilov Heroes, 28 soldiers of an Almaty infantry unit who died fighting Nazi German invaders outside of Moscow in World War II. The group takes its name from Ivan Panfilov, the General commanding the 316th division which, in spite of heavy casualties, believed at that time managed to significantly delay the Germans' advance on the capital, buying time for the defenders of the city. An eternal flame commemorating the fallen of the [[Russian Civil War]] and the [[Great Patriotic War]] burns in front of the giant black monument of soldiers from all 15 Soviet republics.<gallery widths="190" heights="130">
File:Panfilov park 03.jpg|Panfilov Park
File:Вид на Алма-Ату от станции канатной дороги на Кок-Тобе.JPG|Kök Töbe cable car, 2007
File:Shymbulak Valley - CIMG8526.JPG|Shymbulak Valley
File:Watchtower in middle of Big Almaty Lake (3991851837).jpg|Watchtower in middle of [[Big Almaty Lake]]
</gallery>

== Transportation ==
[[File:Air astana plane taking off.jpg|thumb|290x290px|Almaty International Airport is the largest airport in Kazakhstan.]]

=== Air ===
The closest airport to Almaty is [[Almaty International Airport]] located {{convert|15|km|mi|frac=2}} northeast of the city centre.

=== Urban transport ===
[[Sayran Bus Terminal]] provides intercity bus connections within [[Kazakhstan]], as well as international connections to [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[China]] and regional bus connections west of the city. [[Sayakhat Bus Terminal]] provides regional bus connections to places north and east of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caravanistan.com/travel/kazakhstan/almaty/bus-stations/ |title=Bus stations in Almaty |publisher=Caravanistan |access-date=2 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330221342/http://caravanistan.com/travel/kazakhstan/almaty/bus-stations/ |archive-date=30 March 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Kazakhstan Temir Zholy|Kazakhstan Temir Joly]] has two stations: [[Almaty-1 railway station|Almaty-1]] (located 20 minutes drive from the city center, and reserved mostly for cargo) and [[Almaty-2 railway station|Almaty-2]] located within the city and reserved mostly for passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caravanistan.com/travel/kazakhstan/almaty/train-station/ |title=Almaty train station – Caravanistan |website=Caravanistan |access-date=23 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331000015/http://caravanistan.com/travel/kazakhstan/almaty/train-station/ |archive-date=31 March 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011 the [[Almaty Metro]] opened, and a [[Almaty Light Rail|light rail]] line was built in 2011.

A [[bicycle-sharing system]], Almaty-bike, has been in operation since September 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Times |first=Astana |date=4 July 2016 |title=Almaty Bike System to be Launched in September |url=https://astanatimes.com/2016/07/almaty-bike-system-to-be-launched-in-september/ |access-date=8 November 2022 |website=The Astana Times |language=en |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108151327/https://astanatimes.com/2016/07/almaty-bike-system-to-be-launched-in-september/ |url-status=live }}</ref> People can buy a monthly card and ride freely.

== Education ==
{{See also|List of schools in Almaty}}

=== Universities ===
{{Main|List of universities in Kazakhstan}}

{{colbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Kazakh National Medical University]], named after Asfendiyarov (former: Almaty Governmental Medical Institute (AGMI))
* [[Almaty Management University]] (ALMU)
* [[International Information Technology University]] (IITU)
* [[Kazakh-British Technical University]] (KBTU)
* [[University of International Business (Kazakhstan)|University of International Business]]
* [[Almaty Institute of Power Engineering and Telecommunications]]
* [[Kazakh National Technical University]] (KazNTU)
* [[Al-Farabi Kazakh National University]] (KazNU)
* [[Suleyman Demirel University]] (SDU)
* [[KIMEP University]] (KIMEP)
* Kazakh-American University (KAU)
* [[Kazakh National Academy of Arts]] named by T.Zhurgenov
* Kazakh Academy of Sciences
* Kazakh Academy of Labour and Social Relations
* Kazakh National Pedagogic University (named after Abay)
* [[Turan University]]
* [[Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages]]
* [[Central Asian University]] (ЦАУ)
* Kazakh-German University (КНУ)
* [[Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering]]
* Kazakh National Agrarian University (SHI, AEZVI)
* Narxoz University
* International Business Academy

{{colend}}

== Sport ==
[[File:Bandy in Medeu Kazakhstan.JPG|thumb|The final of [[Bandy at the 2011 Asian Winter Games|the bandy tournament at the 2011 Asian Winter Games]] between [[Kazakhstan national bandy team|Kazakhstan]] and [[Mongolia national bandy team|Mongolia]]]]

The historic [[bandy]] team Dinamo won the Soviet Championships in 1977<ref>{{cite web |url=http://akzhajik.ucoz.kz/_nw/5/11184970.jpg |format=JPG |title=Team picture of the 1977 league champions |publisher=Akzhajik.ucoz.kz |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002607/http://akzhajik.ucoz.kz/_nw/5/11184970.jpg |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> and 1990<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bandynet.ru/files/mimages/dynamoaa-90.jpg |format=JPG |title=Team picture of the 1990 league champions |publisher=Akzhajik.ucoz.kz |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209191702/http://bandynet.ru/files/mimages/dynamoaa-90.jpg |archive-date=9 December 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[European Cup (bandy)|European Cup]] in 1978. Their home ground was [[Medeo|Medeu]]. Bandy was introduced for the first time at the [[2011 Winter Asian Games]].<ref>[http://astana-almaty2011.kz/gis/menu/en/News_Center/news.aspx?pagenum=1&tid=2] {{dead link|date=June 2015}}</ref> Medeu was the main arena at the [[2012 Bandy World Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |author=emh solutions |url=http://www.worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=58&title=Matches%20on%20the%20high-latitude%20arena%20Medeu |title=Matches on the high-latitude arena Medeu &#124; Federation of International Bandy |publisher=Worldbandy.com |access-date=20 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620161801/http://www.worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=58&title=Matches%20on%20the%20high-latitude%20arena%20Medeu |archive-date=20 June 2015}}</ref> The second arena built for the championships is an alternative field at [[Almaty Central Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://frsk.kz/hockey/hockey_posts/23204-renessans-nachinaetsyahokkey.html |title=Ренессанс начинается?../хоккей |publisher= |date=7 January 2013 |access-date=11 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426075327/https://frsk.kz/hockey/hockey_posts/23204-renessans-nachinaetsyahokkey.html |archive-date=26 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The city is now a candidate to host also the 2020 [[Bandy World Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sport.ru/hockey/Respublika_Komi_podala_zayavku_na_provedenie_CHM-2021_po_hokkeyu_s_myachom/article340977/ |title=Республика Коми подала заявку на проведение ЧМ-2021 по хоккею с мячом |website= |date=4 February 2017 |access-date=23 October 2017 |archive-date=5 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205155553/http://www.sport.ru/hockey/Respublika_Komi_podala_zayavku_na_provedenie_CHM-2021_po_hokkeyu_s_myachom/article340977/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Federation of International Bandy]] has opened an office for Asia, which is located in Almaty.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sportmail.ru/news/hockey-bandy/8000427/ |title= |publisher= |date=7 January 2013 |access-date=11 January 2013}}{{dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Almaty was the host of the [[2017 Winter Universiade]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://almaty2017.kz/index.php/en/ |title=2017 Winter Universiade home page |publisher=Almaty2017.kz |date=11 November 2011 |access-date=3 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426041544/http://almaty2017.kz/index.php/en/ |archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref> with bandy on the programme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fisu.net/en/2017-WU-Update-The-Universiade-in-Almaty-could-serve-as-an-Impetus-to-the-Development-of-Bandy-2644.html?idProduit=2091 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731111004/http://www.fisu.net/en/2017-WU-Update-The-Universiade-in-Almaty-could-serve-as-an-Impetus-to-the-Development-of-Bandy-2644.html?idProduit=2091 |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 July 2012 |title=The Universiade in Almaty could serve as an Impetus to the Development of Bandy |publisher=Fisu.net |access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref>

The [[2011 Asian Winter Games]] were held jointly in Almaty and Astana. The [[ice hockey]] and [[ski jumping]] competitions were held in the city at the [[Baluan Sholak Sports Palace]] and [[Sunkar International Ski Jumping Complex]] respectively. The [[biathlon]], [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skiing]], and [[ski orienteering]] competitions were held at the nearby [[Soldatskoe Valley Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Stadium]]; the [[Alpine skiing]] and [[bandy]] competitions were held in nearby [[Shymbulak]] and [[Medeo]] respectively.

The [[Yenbek Almaty]] ice hockey team played from 1965 to 1985 and from 1999 to 2009. [[HC Almaty]] currently plays in the [[Kazakhstan Hockey Championship]].

The city's primary football team is [[FC Kairat]] founded in 1954 and one of the most successful Kazakh clubs. The club made history by qualifying for the [[2025-26 UEFA Champions League]], thus becoming only the second Kazakhstani football club to do so.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://astanatimes.com/2025/08/kairat-fc-defeats-celtic-fc-advances-to-champions-league-for-first-time/ }}</ref> Futsal club [[AFC Kairat]] has won the [[UEFA Futsal Cup]] in 2012–13 and 2014–15. Basketball team [[BC Almaty]] won the 2015 and 2016 editions of the [[Kazakhstan Basketball Cup]].

=== Olympic aspirations ===
{{Main|Almaty bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics|Almaty bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics}}
[[File:Universiade 2017. Speed Skating. KOR - RUS 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[2017 Winter Universiade]]]]
Following the successful hosting of the 2011 Winter Asian Games, Almaty made a bid to host the XXII [[2014 Winter Olympics|Olympic Winter Games]] in 2014,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesbids.com/english/bids/2014.shtml |title=2014 Winter Olympic Games Bids |publisher=Gamesbids.com |access-date=2 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323145203/http://www.gamesbids.com/english/bids/2014.shtml |archive-date=23 March 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but was eliminated from consideration, not making the "short list" of candidate cities. Almaty was the [[Universiade#2017 Universiade candidate cities|2017 Winter Universiade]] host.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://almaty2017.kz/index.php/en/ |title=Almaty 2017 home page |publisher=Almaty2017.kz |date=11 November 2011 |access-date=2 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205052800/http://www.almaty2017.kz/index.php/en/ |archive-date=5 December 2011}}</ref> The city was exploring possible bids, such as the [[2018 Winter Olympics]], but did not submit one. Almaty submitted a bid to host the [[2022 Winter Olympics]] in August 2013,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/9581262/kazakhstan-almaty-bids-host-2022-winter-games |title=Kazakhstan's Almaty bids to host 2022 Winter Games |publisher=Espn.go.com |date=19 August 2013 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821181653/http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/9581262/kazakhstan-almaty-bids-host-2022-winter-games |archive-date=21 August 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesbids.com/eng/winter_olympic_bids/future_winter_bids/1216136727.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006122431/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/winter_olympic_bids/future_winter_bids/1216136727.html|url-status=dead|title=One moment, please...|archivedate=6 October 2014|website=www.gamesbids.com}}</ref> but lost to [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/33730477 |title=Beijing to host 2022 Winter Olympics |publisher=BBC Sport |date=31 July 2015 |access-date=31 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802040330/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/33730477 |archive-date=2 August 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite these failures, Almaty may still consider to submit a bid to host the [[2030 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://m.forbes.kz/life/opinion/winter_olympic_games_almaty-2030 |title=Winter Olympic Games Almaty-2030 |work=Forbes Life |date=3 October 2021 |access-date=5 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesbids.com/forums/topic/29799-is-almaty-actually-the-perfect-fit-for-2030-seriously/ |title=Is Almaty actually the perfect fit for 2030? (.....seriously) |date=10 April 2021 |publisher=Gamesbids.com |access-date=5 January 2022 |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105014158/https://www.gamesbids.com/forums/topic/29799-is-almaty-actually-the-perfect-fit-for-2030-seriously/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
The fictional espionage novel ''Performance Anomalies''<ref>{{Cite book |title=Performance Anomalies |last=Lee |first=Victor Robert |date=20 December 2012 |publisher=Perimeter Six |isbn=978-1-938409-22-6 |location=USA |language=en |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/performanceanoma0000leev}}</ref> takes place in Almaty, [[Kazakhstan]] and many of the city's landmarks make an appearance, including [[Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen|Panfilov Park]],<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R4xrWxfC_DUC&q=performance+anomalies+panfilov+park&pg=PT36 |title=Performance Anomalies |first=Victor Robert |last=Lee |date=15 January 2013 |publisher=Perimeter Six Press |isbn=978-1-938409-20-2 |access-date=11 March 2023 |via=Google Books |archive-date=11 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311075320/https://books.google.com/books?id=R4xrWxfC_DUC&pg=PT36&q=performance+anomalies+panfilov+park |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ascension Cathedral, Almaty|Zenkov Cathedral]], The [[Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments]], Kok-Tob ([[Kok-Tobe|Kök Töbe]]), [[Shymbulak]], Zelyony [https://books.google.com/books?id=R4xrWxfC_DUC&q=performance+anomalies+zelyony&pg=PT98 Bazaar], and several well-known avenues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caravanistan.com/books/kazakhstan/ |title=11 Best Books about Kazakhstan {{!}} Caravanistan |website=Caravanistan |language=en-US |access-date=11 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507052536/http://caravanistan.com/books/kazakhstan |archive-date=7 May 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.readinggroupguides.com/reviews/performance-anomalies |title=Performance Anomalies {{!}} ReadingGroupGuides.com |language=en |access-date=11 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803171418/http://www.readinggroupguides.com/reviews/performance-anomalies |archive-date=3 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
{{colbegin|colwidth=30em}}

* [[Zhansaya Abdumalik]] (born 2000), chess Grandmaster and prodigy
* [[Altynai Asylmuratova]] (born 1961), prima ballerina with the Kirov ballet
* [[Eugen Bauder]] (born 1986), model in Germany
* [[Anatoly Bose]] (born 1988), Australian basketball player
* [[Alexander Brener]] (born 1957), film star in Russia
* [[Sergei Chekmezov]] (born 1964), professional football coach and former player
* [[Zarina Diyas]] (born 1993), tennis player
* [[Alexandra Elbakyan]] (born 1988), intellectual property activist, creator of [[Sci-Hub]]
* [[Nagima Eskalieva]] (born 1954), singer and entertainer
* [[Dmitri Fofonov]] (born 1976), racing cyclist
* [[Kinbōzan Haruki]] (born 1997), [[rikishi|sumo wrestler]] and first Kazakhstani to reach the ''[[makuuchi]]'' division
* [[Alexey Korolev]] (born 1987), ski jumper
* [[Nikolay Karpenko]] (born 1981), ski jumper
* [[Ruslana Korshunova]] (1987–2008), model
* [[Olessya Kulakova]] (born 1977), volleyball representative for Germany
* [[Regina Kulikova]] (born 1989), tennis player
* [[Dinmukhamed Konayev]] (1912–1993), politician
* [[Fuat Mansurov]] (1928–2008), Soviet and Russian conductor
* [[Dmitriy Ogai]] (born 1960), soccer trainer and Soviet soccer player
* [[Sergei Ostapenko]] (born 1986), soccer player
* [[Alexander Parygin]] (born 1973), olympic athlete
* [[Alexander Petrenko]] (1976–2006), basketball representative for Russia
* [[Boris Polak]] (born 1954), Israeli world champion and Olympic sport shooter
* [[Vadim Sayutin]] (born 1970), ice speed skater in Russia
* [[Thomas Schertwitis]] (born 1972), water polo
* [[Levi Yitzchak Schneerson]] (1878–1944) Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi
* [[Zhanar Sekerbayeva]] (born 1983), LGBT activist
* [[Olga Shishigina]] (born 1968), Olympic champion in hurdling
* [[Konstantin Sokolenko]] (born 1987), Nordic combined skier/ski jumper
* [[Igor Sysoev]] (born 1970) open-source software engineer, founder of nginx, Inc.
* [[Elena Likhovtseva]] (born 1975), tennis player
* [[Elzhana Taniyeva]] (born 2005), rhythmic gymnast
* [[Denis Ten]] (1993–2018), figure skater
* [[Yernar Yerimbetov]] (1980), gymnast
* [[Anatoly Vaisser]] (born 1949), French chess grandmaster
* [[Sofya Velikaya]] (born 1985), Russian Olympic fencer
* [[Radik Zhaparov]] (born 1984), ski jumper
* [[Vladimir Zhirinovsky]] (1946–2022), politician
* [[Elena Zoubareva]] (born 1972), Russian American opera singer
{{colend}}

== Twin towns – sister cities ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Asia#Kazakhstan|l1=List of twin towns and sister cities in Kazakhstan}}
Almaty is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Есть ли побратимы у Актау и других городов Казахстана |url=https://tumba.kz/zhizn-regiona/11-zhizn-regiona/43012-Est_li_pobratimy_u_Aktau_i_drugih_gorodov_Kazahstan.html |website=tumba.kz |publisher=Tumba |language=ru |date=4 May 2019 |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212082104/https://tumba.kz/zhizn-regiona/11-zhizn-regiona/43012-Est_li_pobratimy_u_Aktau_i_drugih_gorodov_Kazahstan.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* {{flagicon|EGY}} [[Alexandria]], Egypt<ref>{{cite web |title=Музыкальные инструменты мира» соберутся в Алматы |url=https://www.inalmaty.kz/news/2152722/muzykalnye-instrumenty-mira-soberutsa-v-almaty |website=inalmaty.kz |publisher=inAlmaty |language=ru |date=11 September 2018 |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=10 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210144927/https://www.inalmaty.kz/news/2152722/muzykalnye-instrumenty-mira-soberutsa-v-almaty |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|KGZ}} [[Bishkek]], Kyrgyzstan<ref>{{cite web |title=Балбак Түлөбаев Казакстандын элчиси менен жолугушту |url=https://vesti.kg/kg/politika-kg/item/78828-balbak-tulobaev-kazakstandyn-elchisi-menen-zholugushtu.html |website=vesti.kg |language=ky |date=23 November 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=11 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211195217/https://vesti.kg/kg/politika-kg/item/78828-balbak-tulobaev-kazakstandyn-elchisi-menen-zholugushtu.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Daegu]], South Korea
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Istanbul]], Turkey
* {{flagicon|SAU}} [[Jeddah]], Saudi Arabia
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Malatya]], Turkey<ref>{{cite web |title=Almatı |url=http://www.malatya.bel.tr/icerik/840/2457/almati.aspx |website=malatya.bel.tr |publisher=Malatya |language=tr |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112201419/http://malatya.bel.tr/icerik/840/2457/almati.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Modena]], Italy<ref>{{cite web |title=Cosa accomuna Modena al Kazakistan? |url=https://www.modenatoday.it/social/modena-almaty-kazakistan.html |website=modenatoday.it |publisher=Modena Today |language=it |date=9 November 2020 |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=5 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305140300/https://www.modenatoday.it/social/modena-almaty-kazakistan.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|SOM}} [[Mogadishu]], Somalia<ref name="Uatwvt">{{cite book |title=USSR and Third World, Volume 3 |date=1973 |publisher=Central Asian Research Centre |page=209 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K3fiAAAAMAAJ |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-date=11 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611034745/http://www.google.com/books?id=K3fiAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Moscow]], Russia
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Rennes]], France
* {{flagicon|LVA}} [[Riga]], Latvia
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Rosario]], Argentina<ref name=rosario>{{cite web |title=Relaciones bilaterales |url=https://www.rosario.gob.ar/web/gobierno/internacionales/relaciones-bilaterales |website=rosario.gob.ar |date=26 April 2019 |publisher=Rosario |language=es |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=6 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606144240/https://www.rosario.gob.ar/web/gobierno/internacionales/relaciones-bilaterales |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia
* {{flagicon|UZB}} [[Tashkent]], Uzbekistan
* {{flagicon|ISR}} [[Tel Aviv]], Israel
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[Arizona]], United States
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Ürümqi]], China
* {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Muş]], Turkey
* {{flagicon|LTU}} [[Vilnius]], Lithuania
<!--rest – not twinning or twinning ended-->
{{div col end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Modern Almaty.jpg|A modern Almaty street
Центральный Государственный музей Республики Казахстан.JPG|The Central State Museum of Kazakhstan
E8562-Almaty-Lake-Sayran.jpg|Lake Sayran, on the western side of the city
Raimbek-Emtsov.JPG|Aerial view of Raymbek avenue
Алматинское метро 008.JPG|Raymbek batyr Station, Almaty Metro
AscensionCathedralAlmaty002.jpg|The Ascension Cathedral in winter
ALAFurmanova162.JPG|Old House, constructed in 1908, at Furmanov street
Musirepov theater for youngs.jpg|The Musrepov Academic Youth Theater
Medeobanen1.jpg|The Medeo ice skating stadium
TWC, KazNU Campus.JPG|Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Железнодорожная станция Алматы-1 3049775.jpg|Almaty 1 train station
ALAcityborder.JPG|City border
ALALenin.JPG|Statue of [[Vladimir Lenin]]
</gallery>

== International organizations ==
The [[International Monetary Fund]] announced in October 2019 that it would launch a new regional technical assistance centre (RTAC) in Almaty. The centre will provide capacity development services to nine IMF member countries in the CCAM region. The centre is expected to cover the fiscal policy, central bank operations, financial sector supervision, and macroeconomic statistics.<ref>{{cite web |title=IMF to locate new regional technical assistance centre in Almaty |url=https://astanatimes.com/2019/10/imf-to-locate-new-regional-technical-assistance-centre-in-almaty/ |website=astanatimes.com |date=23 October 2019 |access-date=23 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023192528/https://astanatimes.com/2019/10/imf-to-locate-new-regional-technical-assistance-centre-in-almaty/ |archive-date=23 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Almaty International School]]
* [[A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts]]
* [[Alma Ata Declaration]]
* [[Almaty International Airport]]
* [[Architecture of Almaty]]
* [[Central State Museum of Kazakhstan]]
* [[FC Kairat]]
* [[Kazakhstan International School]]
* [[Kazakhstan National Museum of Instruments]]
* [[Monuments of Almaty]]
* [[Malus sieversii]]
* [[Shymbulak]] – ski resort
* [[WikiBilim]] Public Foundation
* [[The Golden Square (Almaty)]]
{{colend}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{Main list|Timeline of Almaty#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Almaty}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.almaty.kz/page.php?lang=2 City of Almaty] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615193715/https://www.almaty.kz/page.php?lang=2 |date=15 June 2020 }} Official website
* [http://www.almaty-kazakhstan.net/ Almaty Tourism Website]
* {{Wikivoyage inline|Almaty}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120701185152/http://en.alaport.com/main.html Link to Almaty airport]
* [https://novostroyki-almaty.kz/ New buildings and developers of Almaty]

{{Clear}}
{{Almaty}}
{{Provinces of Kazakhstan}}
{{Cities of Kazakhstan}}
{{Asian Games Host Cities}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Almaty| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Central Asia]]
[[Category:Former national capitals]]
[[Category:Populated places along the Silk Road]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1854]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Regions of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Semirechye Oblast]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in the Russian Empire]]
[[Category:Koryo-saram communities]]