The best museums Almaty

Learn all about Kazakh musical instruments. The museum is interesting, with a nice little concert hall. But it lacks explanations in English. Many instruments, especially dombras, once belonging to great Kazakh musicians and poets, have been recovered to enrich the museum's collection. The visit is as much worthwhile for the museum as for the wooden monument that houses it, a former cathedral erected in 1908.

The museum offers a complete panorama of the country's history since the bronze age, in a fairly well-designed timeline, although it is regrettable that no comments are made in English. Four bright halls with a beautiful setting, connected by galleries, display more than 200 000 historical pieces reminiscent of Kazakhstan through four historical periods. A beautiful hall is devoted to local ethnography, and the room on independent Kazakhstan is a fine example of political propaganda. Between the two, we will be able to dwell in the room devoted to the Soviet period, rich in many pieces today. Recently decorated, a fifth hall regularly displays the museum's funds, which have never been exposed in the other pavilions. The theme of this fifth hall is therefore periodically renewed. At the entrance you will find two souvenir stores offering a few crafts and carpets.

This museum traces the country's military history, with a wealth of images and propaganda posters, which are probably the most interesting elements for a foreigner. The place is radically lacking in explanations in English, and the succession of portraits of local generals leaves one a little indifferent. It's a pity, because the museum's collection of over 6,000 items - paintings, weapons, armor, uniforms - would benefit from being highlighted.