Abylai Khan monument, Bronze monument in Abylai Khan Square, Kokshetau, Kazakhstan.
The Abylai Khan monument stands on Kokshetau's central square, facing the regional akimat, at the centre of a boulevard passage with a fountain linking the square to the park. The seated khan, in a robe and a tall hat with turned-up brims, wears his personal seal on his chest; behind him rises a symbolic tree of three joined trunks topped by a falcon with spread wings. The bronze figure is 5 m high, the tree about 14 m, on a solid granite pedestal faced with light marble.
The monument was inaugurated on November 5, 1999, honoring Abylai Khan, who united Kazakh tribes against Dzungar invasions in the 18th century. This period shaped the formation of a stronger Kazakh identity and territorial integrity.
The seated khan wears a robe and a tall hat with folded brims, with his personal seal on his chest. Behind him rises a "tree of life" of three joined trunks topped by a falcon with spread wings, a symbol of the unity of the peoples. The pedestal bears the Kazakh inscription "Abylai 1711–1781, from a people forever grateful to their khan".
The monument is free to visit year-round and serves as a helpful central reference point for navigating the city. Its location on the main square makes it easy to find and a natural gathering spot.
The "tree of life" behind the seated khan is about 14 m tall, cast in bronze from three joined trunks, with a falcon on top. The sculpture itself is 5 m high. A capsule of earth from the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan, where Abylai Khan is buried, was placed at its foot at the 1999 opening.
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