Page "Astana" Paragraph 2

The word Astana in Kazakh literally means Capital but the word itself originates from Persian Astane ( means " sublime threshold ," " royal porte " implying a royal capital city or a holy shrine town, ( from the Persian verb Istadan ( آستان ) ' to stand ' ( in respect )), and literally means " threshold " ( royal or sacred, where people stand in respect or awe ), implying where the court is seated ( the capital city ) or the body of a sacred person is interred ( a shrine town ).

The city of Turkestan in Kazakhstan that hosts the body of the saint Ahmad Yasavi is also called the " astana " as is the city of Mashhad in Iran that is the burial place of the 8th Shiite Imam Reza.

In fact, long before becoming the new capital of Kazakhstan, the city was " an astana ," a burial ground of a saint, hence the old name of the city, Ak Mola ( Ақмола ), " white mausoleum.