Kazakhstan Revives ‘Nomad City’ Film Set as Tourist Destination
Photo: Almaty Region Akimat
After a string of corruption scandals, “Nomad City,” originally built as the set for the film Nomads, is being repurposed into a full-fledged tourist center, Orda.kz reports.
The Almaty Region Akimat says the scenic banks of the Ile River will be transformed from a movie backdrop into a modern tourist cluster featuring glamping sites, a café, and a pedestrian bridge to the Tanbaly Tas shrine.
Previously, the site was used only as a film set and gradually fell into disrepair. With growing tourist interest, we decided to give it new life — to turn it into a full-fledged tourist destination with modern infrastructure. Around 500 people visit the City of Nomads every month, and Tanbaly Tas attracts up to 4,000 tourists annually, said Marat Sultangaziyev, the Akim of Almaty Region.
Construction has already begun on a new seven-kilometer road leading to the complex. The route will be equipped with lighting and a parking lot, with the main construction scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
Earlier this summer, officials estimated the project’s cost at 15.4 million tenge, explaining the relatively low figure by the site’s deteriorated condition. The City of Nomads remains under the Akimat’s management.
Orda.kz previously reported on the project’s troubled past — a trail of corruption, shady contractors, and questionable use of public funds during earlier renovations. In 2017, the complex was sold at a price 44 times lower than its actual value. The buyer was later revealed to be a company linked to Arystanbek Mukhamediuly, the convicted former Minister of Culture and Sports.
Now, officials are promising a “new beginning” for the once-notorious site. According to government data, more than 700,000 tourists visited national parks in the Almaty region in 2025 alone, with domestic tourism up 30% year-over-year.
Original Author: Alina Pak
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