# Independence Park, Shymkent > Independence Park is Shymkent’s ceremonial park, opened in 2011 on a hilltop a 3–5-minute walk from Ordabasy Square over a footbridge. Entry is **free** and, unofficially, it is open 24 hours. Expect an arch dated 1991 and 2011, an alley with the story of independence cut in stone and the Altyn Shanyrak monument. Allow 30–60 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park - City: [Shymkent](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent), Kazakhstan - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Opening hours: 24 hours, every day - Location: Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, Al-Farabi District, just south of Ordabasy Square - From Ordabasy Square: 3–5 min on foot over the footbridge - To Shymkent Citadel: ≈ 5–8 min walk west - Time needed: 30–60 min; longer on a summer evening - Singing fountain: Needed a full overhaul in mid-2025 — check if it is running - Paying nearby: Tenge; carry some cash for kiosks and taxis - Coordinates: 42.30667, 69.60000 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **2011** — opened for the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence (source: English and Kazakh Wikipedia; Kazakhstan.travel; Sxodim) - **≈ 8.2 ha** — the park’s area — 82,000 square metres (source: Kazakhstan.travel; Sxodim) - **137** — metal supports hold up the Altyn Shanyrak dome — one for each ethnic group in Kazakhstan (source: Kazakhstan.travel; Sxodim; Kazakh Wikipedia; Azattyq Rýhy, 2020) - **1991–2011** — the dates in gold on the entrance arch (source: welcome.kz, 2023; Wikimedia Commons photo of the arch) - **Chronicle** — an alley of stone slabs marking key events since 1991 (source: Kazakh Wikipedia; Sxodim; welcome.kz) - **Nazarbayev** — the first president opened the park in person (source: Kazakh Wikipedia; Kazakhstan.travel) - **Footbridge** — links the park to Ordabasy Square across Kabanbay Batyr Avenue (source: English and Kazakh Wikipedia; OpenStreetMap) - **Hilltop** — the park sits on the flat top of a hill above the city centre (source: Kazakh Wikipedia; OpenStreetMap) - **34 m** — height of the Zher Ana (Mother Earth) monument on neighbouring Ordabasy Square (source: Kazakhstan.travel; Kazakh Wikipedia) - **Singing fountain** — a musical, lit fountain — the park’s evening centrepiece (source: English Wikipedia; Sxodim; Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, 2025) ## What is Independence Park in Shymkent? Independence Park — **Täuelsizdik Saiabağy** in Kazakh — is the city’s showpiece park, opened in 2011 for the 20th anniversary of independence and inaugurated by Nursultan Nazarbayev himself. It is less a shady garden than an open, formal space of avenues, flowerbeds, monuments and a fountain on a hilltop right above Ordabasy Square. The park covers about 8.2 hectares on the flat top of the hill. To the north a footbridge crosses Kabanbay Batyr Avenue to [Ordabasy Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/ordabasy-square); to the west rises the mound of [Shymkent Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-citadel). The square and the park were designed to work together: the Zher Ana monument below, the symbols of independence above. Everything here tells one story — modern Kazakhstan since 1991. The dates on the arch, the chronicle cut into stone and the 137 supports of the Altyn Shanyrak monument all point the same way. If you want to see how the country presents itself today, this is the clearest place in Shymkent to do it. ## What to see in Independence Park - **The triumphal arch** at the main entrance — pale columns with 1991 and 2011 in gold and the park’s name in Kazakh and Russian. Shoot it straight on, in the morning. - **The chronicle alley** — a line of stone slabs and steles engraved with milestones since independence, running diagonally from the footbridge towards the fountain. - **Altyn Shanyrak** (Golden Shanyrak) — a dome shaped like the smoke-ring crown of a yurt, raised on 137 metal supports over a granite base carved with the peoples of Kazakhstan. - **The singing fountain** in the middle — water shapes set to music and light after dark, though it needed repairs in 2025. - **The national flag** on a tall flagpole, where state holiday ceremonies are held. - **The footbridge to Ordabasy Square** — a good angle on the Zher Ana column and the five-way junction below. - **The viewpoint on the west edge** — looking across to the walls and towers of the citadel on the next hill. - **Flowerbeds and benches** along every path, busy with local families once the evening heat breaks. > **The singing fountain may be off** The musical fountain used to be the reason to come at night. In June 2025 Kazakhstanskaya Pravda reported it needed a full overhaul, with reconstruction planned for the following year, and we found no news since of it reopening. If the fountain is why you are going, ask at your hotel first — the park is on your way anyway. ## Independence Park opening hours and entry Entry is **free** — there are no tickets or gates to pay at. The Sxodim city guide lists the park as open 24 hours, every day. There is no official timetable, so we mark the hours as unofficial. At night the paths are lit and the Altyn Shanyrak monument is floodlit, so an after-dark visit is perfectly normal here. You will barely need money. For water, ice cream or a taxi, prices are in tenge. A foreign Visa or Mastercard usually works in hotels and larger shops, but kiosks and some Shymkent taxi drivers want cash, so keep a few small notes. Kaspi, the payment app locals use everywhere, needs a Kazakh bank account. Yandex Go works here; try your card in the app, and keep cash as a fallback. ## How to get to Independence Park 1. From Ordabasy Square: stand by the Zher Ana column and walk south to the footbridge over Kabanbay Batyr Avenue — about 100 m. 2. Cross the bridge and you are in the north end of the park, at the start of the chronicle alley. The whole walk takes 3–5 minutes. 3. By bus: city routes stop at Ordabasy Square (Kazybek Bi and Tole Bi streets); on the south side, use the Zheleznodorozhnaya Bolnitsa (Railway Hospital) stop on Kabanbay Batyr Street or 4-ya Poliklinika. Check route numbers in a transit app, as they change. 4. From Shymkent Citadel: come down to Aiteke Bi Street and walk east — 5–8 minutes to the park’s west edge. 5. By taxi: about 10 minutes from the railway station and 20–25 minutes from the airport; in Yandex Go search for “Independence Park” or “Ordabasy”. ## Is Independence Park worth visiting? Yes, if you are in the centre: it is five minutes from Ordabasy Square, it costs nothing, and in half an hour you see the main symbols of today’s Kazakhstan. It is not worth a special trip across town — this is a ceremonial space with monuments, not a park for a long, shady afternoon. Come in the evening. Shymkent summers are fierce and the open avenues have little shade, but after sunset the lights come on and families come out. Mornings are best for photos of the arch, with soft light and hardly anyone around. In winter the park is quiet and a little bare, but calm. Don’t expect rides or cafés inside. For that, head to the [Arboretum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arboretum) or the [Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat) pedestrian street. Independence Park works best as a link in a chain: citadel, park, Ordabasy Square — all in one block. ## Independence Park, Ordabasy Square or the citadel? | | Independence Park | Ordabasy Square | Citadel | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Ceremonial park from 2011 | Main square with the Zher Ana monument | Ancient town mound, open-air museum | | Entry | Free | Free | Paid ticket | | When | 24 hours; best in the evening | Any time | Daytime, with a weekly day off | | Time needed | 30–60 min | 15–30 min | ≈ 1 hour | | Getting there | 3–5 min from Ordabasy | The centre — start here | 10–12 min from Ordabasy | All three are next to each other — do them in a row rather than choosing one. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Coming in the evening or the morning, not in the midday heat - [ ] Asked at the hotel whether the fountain is running - [ ] Water and a hat in summer - [ ] A few tenge notes for water and a taxi - [ ] Combined with the citadel and Ordabasy Square - [ ] Allowed 30–60 minutes ## Shymkent after dark compared Places in Shymkent for an evening out, rated by YesGo. - [Independence Park](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Shymkent Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, open 24/7 ## Central Shymkent in half a day The citadel in the morning, a stroll through Independence Park, Ordabasy Square and the Arbat towards evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Shymkent Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-citadel) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 1,000 ₸ for foreign visitors 2. [Independence Park](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Ordabasy Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/ordabasy-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 4. [Shymkent Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, open 24/7 ## Good to know This is Shymkent’s Independence Park. The Independence Monument in Almaty, the Palace of Independence in Astana and the parks of the same name in Bishkek and Minsk are different places. The Zher Ana column stands on Ordabasy Square next door, not in the park itself. ## Tips - Go after sunset: lights, cooler air and local families — the park comes alive in the evening. - Start at the citadel, walk down through the park and finish on Ordabasy Square, so you never double back. - Photograph the arch in the morning, when the pale stone catches the sun and the paths are empty. - The chronicle slabs are in Kazakh and Russian — skim the dates rather than trying to read every line. - Good with kids: wide, car-free avenues, though there is no playground — find one in another park. - If the fountain is dry, don’t worry — the monuments, not the water, are the point here. ## Questions ### Where is Independence Park in Shymkent? In the city centre, Al-Farabi District, on a hilltop just south of Ordabasy Square by Kabanbay Batyr Avenue. A footbridge leads from the square into the park. ### Is Independence Park free? Yes. There are no tickets and no gates to pay at. ### What are Independence Park’s opening hours? Unofficially, it is open 24 hours a day, every day, according to the Sxodim city guide. The paths and monument are lit at night. ### How do I get to Independence Park from Ordabasy Square? Walk south to the footbridge over Kabanbay Batyr Avenue and cross it — 3–5 minutes in all. A taxi from the railway station takes about 10 minutes. ### Is the singing fountain working? In mid-2025 it needed a full overhaul, with reconstruction planned for the following year. We found no news of it reopening, so check locally. ### What is the Altyn Shanyrak monument? A dome shaped like a shanyrak — the crown ring at the top of a yurt — on 137 metal supports, one for each ethnic group in Kazakhstan. It is the park’s main monument and a symbol of unity. ### When was Independence Park opened? In 2011, for the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. Nursultan Nazarbayev opened it in person. ### How long do I need there? 30–60 minutes to walk the alley and see the arch and monument. Half a day with the citadel and Ordabasy Square. ### Is Independence Park worth visiting? Yes as a short, free stop in the centre, ideally in the evening. Don’t cross town for it alone. ## How we checked The park is free and has no official website, so its hours come from the Sxodim city guide and are marked as unofficial. Sources disagree on the area: Kazakhstan.travel and Sxodim say 82,000 m², Kazakh Wikipedia 5.8 ha, and English Wikipedia carries an obvious typo of 0.0082 ha; we give 8.2 ha, which matches the park outline on OpenStreetMap (about 8.5 ha). Only one independent source gives the flagpole (50 m) and monument (30 m) heights, and another guide gives an impossible 300 m for the monument, so we leave the figures out; the building cost and bridge length appear only in Kazakh Wikipedia and are left out too. The fountain’s condition is from Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, June 2025; we found nothing newer. Walking routes and bus stops are taken from OpenStreetMap; we give no bus numbers because routes change. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Independence Park (Shymkent); Wikidata Q25503595 - Kazakh Wikipedia: Täuelsizdik Saiabağy (Shymkent) — arch, chronicle alley, monument, bridge - Kazakhstan.travel national tourism portal: Ordabasy Square and Independence Park — year, area, monuments - Sxodim: Independence Park — entry, hours, area, fountain; Altyn Shanyrak monument, 2023 - welcome.kz: Independence Park, 2023 — the dated arch, steles, evening lighting - Azattyq Rýhy: The Altyn Shanyrak monument is crumbling in Shymkent, February 2020 - Kazakhstanskaya Pravda: Fountains — the soul of Shymkent, June 2025 — fountain condition - OpenStreetMap — park outline, footbridge, alley and bus stops --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. 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