Museum of National Musical Instruments

Address: 24 Zenkov Street, Almaty
Phone: (3272) 91 63 26
Designed by Zenkov in 1908, this wooden structure was formerly used as a meeting venue for military officers. It was in 1980 that someone actually gave this impressive wooden building the respect it deserved, and today it houses a rare collection of musical instruments from all over Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states, some dating as far back as the 17th century. Instruments include wooden ones like flutes, horns and harps, an assortment of bagpipes, and Dombras – two- and three-stringed Kazakh guitars. You can also listen to recorded melodies played on these instruments, which makes for quite a pleasant interior ambience. Some instruments on display are from the personal collections of national celebrities like Abai, Dina, and Makhambet.
A large sculpture of the national musical instrument, the Narkobyza, is on display at the front entrance of the museum.
Tours of the museum are available – ask at the reception counter.