Nomara
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Nomara
Nomara: Idiot’s Guide to Patterns, Symbols & Meanings
A Trip You Don’t Just Take—You Create.
That’s why we created Nomara — the only immersive handcraft, symbol, and scent-based journey of its kind in Central Asia.
A 10- or 14-day creative pilgrimage through Kazakhstan’s Silk Road soul, where every day blends ritual, artistry, and connection. You’ll work with metals, wool, and clay — but also with stories, meaning, and memory.
What You’ll Experience
- Felt with Sezim — in her Almaty home, crafting traditional syrmak patterns from raw wool.
- Forge and design jewellery — with masters like Berik and Zhanna, learning the language of Kazakh symbols.
- Shape pottery with Daniyar —grounding your creativity in earth and fire.
- Walk among falcons — and learn the ancient partnership between humans and birds of prey.
- Join steppe families for dairy rituals — milking, making kurt and zhent, baking flatbreads, and sharing tea.
And here’s the best part: it’s only open to 8–10 guests per tour. That means no crowds, no buses—just you and a circle of curious, expressive creatives exploring, reflecting, and making magic together.
This isn’t a holiday.
It’s a creative pilgrimage — one that reconnects art, soul, and place.
Built for creators, dreamers, and storytellers.
This isn’t tourism. It’s an exchange — a creative conversation between you, the land, and its living masters.
- Felt and dye wool the nomadic way, blending earth pigments in a cauldron and shaping living textiles
- Shape and fire pottery the ancient way with clay from the steppe Feel the earth in your hands as you form and fire vessels, carrying forward a lineage of makers.
- Embroider protective motifs into cloth with local artisans Stitch symbols of heritage and blessing into fabric, learning patterns that once safeguarded nomadic homes.
- Explore artisan villages and workshops Step inside working studios and homes where felt, clay, and metal are still transformed by hand each day.
- End in community — share a final meal, stories, and reflections before carrying your craft and connections home.
Why this tour is Different form the other tours
- A craft-led journey built around patterns, symbols, and meaning — not just a standard tour.
- Learn directly from local artisans — then create alongside them, guided step-by-step.
- Tiny groups (8–10 max) for real connection, unhurried pace, and dedicated guidance.
- Limited departures each year — when it’s booked, it’s gone.
THREE PATHS. ONE TRANSFORMATION.
- 10-Day Nomadic Handcraft Journey – Perfect for creators with limited time but limitless curiosity.
- 14-Day Expanded Tour – Includes sacred site visits, greater immersion, and personal studio day.
- 10 Day Nomara Christmas Edition
Ready to create something unforgettable?
- Reserve now: 8–10 seats only, and just a few departures each year. When it’s full, it’s gone.
Nomara waits. Will you answer the call?
What You Get (Core Offer)
A 10- or 14-day immersive journey into the heart of Kazakhstan, where sacred scents, ancient crafts, and nomadic wisdom merge into a life-altering creative experience.
You’ll:
- Hand-felt and embroidered keepsakes — Create meaningful pieces with nomadic techniques, stitching protective symbols that carry wellness and heritage in every thread.
- Clay, fire, and grounding — Shape pottery from steppe earth, connect to the elements, and find calm in the rhythm of making.
- Slow craft, mindful pace — Join village artisans in their homes and workshops — learn traditions passed down for centuries, one stitch, one touch at a time.
- Shared meals, shared stories —End the day gathered around a Kazakh table — nourishment for body, mind, and spirit.
Nomara: 10-Day Kazakhstan Design & Craft Tour
Each Nomara journey runs between 10 and 14 days, encompassing all travel, creative sessions, and cultural encounters from arrival to departure.
A multidisciplinary exploration of design, symbolism, and craft across Kazakhstan — Nomara brings together jewellery, felt, pottery, and ritual in a lyrical circuit from the northern plains of Astana to the sacred sands of Turkistan. This tour celebrates female-led artistry, nomadic design language, and the soul of handmade work. For the curious creative, it’s a living sketchbook where philosophy and pattern entwine.
Instructor Line-Up Notice:
Our workshops are led by a rotating collective of local artists and specialists. Specific instructors may change due to availability, travel, or unforeseen circumstances — but we will always provide an equivalent (or upgraded) experience of the same theme and value.
Afternoon: Touch down in Kazakhstan’s modern capital — a skyline of glass, wind, and imagination. Settle into your hotel and acclimatise to the rhythm of Central Asia.
Evening: A relaxed welcome dinner introduces your group and the stories that will unfold over the coming days.
Morning: Join Kamilya for an intimate felting session, learning how wool becomes soft sculpture — layered, pressed, and infused with natural dyes. Her studio hums with tradition, a tactile introduction to Kazakh design thinking.
Afternoon: Visit the Astana Grand Mosque, a study in symmetry and geometry where architecture becomes devotion.
Evening: Time for journaling or quiet reflection before dinner together.
Morning: Begin with an academic talk on Kazakh symbols — the spiral of life, the horn of abundance, the protective tumar. Discover how meaning hides within every motif.
Afternoon: Work with Zhanna and Berik in their shared jewellery studio. File, cast, and shape metal into contemporary interpretations of ancient amulets.
Evening: Dinner in the city and preparations for your flight south.
Morning: Fly to Almaty, the artistic heart of Kazakhstan. Spend the day in Sezim’s home studio learning syrmak felt-making — sketching patterns, boiling dye cauldrons, and pressing wool into vivid texture.
Evening: Return to the city for dinner and rest beneath the mountain light.
Morning: Shape clay under the guidance of Daniyar, a master potter whose forms echo the curves of steppe landscapes.
Afternoon: Travel outside Almaty for a visit to a falconry farm. Watch golden eagles sweep over the plains and hear from the trainers who preserve this centuries-old bond between bird and human.
Evening: Board the night train to Shymkent — a gentle passage through the sleeping steppe.
Morning: Ride horseback through open pastures, feeling the quiet rhythm of nomadic movement.
Afternoon: Join a guided bazaar walk and an Adyraspán purification ritual with a local healer — a sensory blend of smoke, story, and spirit.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in Shymkent.Evening: Flight to Turkistan.
Morning: Travel to Turkistan and spend the day in a nearby village learning to milk cows, make kurt cheese, and share lunch with local families.
Evening: Private time followed by dinner beneath desert stars.
Morning: Discover traditional millet grinding using hand-mills, then prepare zhent candies and flatbreads — edible heirlooms of the Silk Road.
Afternoon: Gentle exploration or rest.
Evening: Dinner and conversation with village hosts.
Morning: Visit a camel and kumis (mare’s milk) farm to see age-old fermentation methods.
Afternoon: Fly back to Almaty and return to your hotel.
Evening: Free for rest or a quiet café dinner.
Morning: Reconnect body and spirit in a Turkish-style hammam.
Afternoon: Visit the Almaty Museum of Arts and the Central State Museum to trace the dialogue between ancient craft and contemporary design.
Evening: Farewell dinner — a final weaving of friendship and creativity before morning departures.
Early breakfast and transfers for departing flights — carrying with you the tactile memory of clay, silver, felt, and friendship.
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Please Note:
This itinerary is subject to change due to seasonal, local, or operational reasons. Our featured artisans are working professionals with active studios and teaching commitments, and occasionally workshop timings, venues, or instructors may shift to align with their schedules. Any adjustments are made thoughtfully to preserve the integrity, quality, and authenticity of your experience — ensuring that every change enhances rather than detracts from your journey.
Nomara: 14-Day Kazakhstan Design & Culture Tour
Each Nomara journey runs between 10 and 14 days, encompassing all travel, creative sessions, and cultural encounters from arrival to departure.
An extended edition of Nomara — two luminous weeks exploring the intersection of craft, culture, and philosophy across Kazakhstan. From the ateliers of Astana to the villages of Turkistan, every day deepens the connection between maker and meaning. Ideal for artists, designers, and seekers of beauty in form.
Afternoon: Arrive in Astana and settle into your hotel amid the city’s futuristic skyline.
Evening: Welcome dinner with your guide and fellow travellers.
Morning: Ease into the journey with a Kazakh banya — a ritual steam and scrub that revives the body after travel. Wrap in a chapan robe and sip herbal tea in the lounge.
Afternoon: Visit the Astana Grand Mosque, a marvel of calligraphy and light.
Evening: Private time before group dinner.
Morning–Afternoon: Spend the day with Berik, a celebrated jewellery artist, shaping silver and bronze into contemporary interpretations of nomadic adornments. Learn traditional chasing and inlay techniques that once defined Silk Road elegance.
Evening: Dinner together, conversation sparkling like metal under flame.
Morning: Explore the meanings behind Kazakh symbols — the cosmic spiral, the protective amulet, the horn of the ram — and how they inform architecture, textiles, and design.
Afternoon: Visit Zhanna’s studio, then the Astana Art Museum, where modern works converse with ancestral motifs.
Evening: Dinner and transfer to the airport for your flight to Almaty.
Morning–Afternoon: A full day in Sezim’s family studio mastering felt and syrmak techniques. Sketch patterns, dye wool with natural pigments, and craft a small work to take home.
Evening: Return to the city for dinner and rest.
Morning: Mold clay under Daniyar’s guidance, exploring form, balance, and imperfection — the beauty of the handmade.
Afternoon: Travel to a falconry centre and witness the dance of eagles against the mountain sky.
Evening: Board the train to Shymkent.
Morning: Horse ride through open steppe landscapes, a meditation in motion.
Afternoon: Walk the bazaar, then join an Adyraspán ceremony — fragrant smoke, whispered blessings.
Evening: Dinner and overnight stay.
Morning: Travel south to a small village and join families in milking cows, shaping kurt, and sharing lunch cooked over open fire.
Evening: Private time and dinner.
Morning–Afternoon: Grind millet, craft zhent candies, bake flatbreads, and learn how these rituals sustained nomadic communities.
Evening: Dinner with your hosts — laughter echoing through the courtyard.
Morning–Afternoon: Work alongside Indira, She makes beautiful paintings from felt and ceramic broaches and vases.
Evening: Dinner and reflection.
Morning: Visit a camel farm and taste fresh kumis.
Afternoon: Fly back to Almaty and check in to your hotel.
Evening: Free for rest or city strolls.
Morning: Turkish hammam and sauna.
Afternoon: Visits to the Almaty Museum of Arts and the Central State Museum — tracing the dialogue between craft and culture.
Evening: Café hopping or journaling beneath evening lights.
Choose one of three immersive experiences depending on travel month:
- Apple Orchard Ride (April–June): Horse ride through blossoming orchards, lunch at a countryside farm.
- Rural Dairy Day (Aug–Sept): Hands-on butter and kurt making, shared farm stories.
- Kumis Farm Experience: Learn the art of fermenting mare’s milk and taste the region’s signature drink.
Each option reveals a living layer of Kazakh pastoral life.
Morning–Afternoon: Excursion to a local camel farm.
Evening: Farewell dinner and a final toast to creativity shared.
Early breakfast and transfers for departing flights — carrying with you the tactile memory of clay, silver, felt, and friendship.
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Please Note:
Nomara Instructors
Daniyar Babashov — Master of Kazakh Ceramics
Daniyar Babashov is one of the few artists in Kazakhstan reviving the ancient art of pottery and ceramics. His passion for craftsmanship was inherited from his grandfathers — true masters of their time. From childhood, Daniyar loved to draw and create with his hands, which later led him to study ceramics professionally.
After an internship at the Gzhel State University in Russia, where he won first place at an international ceramics festival, Daniyar returned home inspired to restore and modernize this fading craft in Kazakhstan. His works combine elegance, precision, and harmony, blending traditional Kazakh motifs with a contemporary aesthetic.
At his workshop Otrar Ceramics, named after the ancient city of Otrar — once a center of ceramic production — Daniyar creates unique handmade tableware inspired by the heritage of the Silk Road. Each piece carries a story, connecting the past and present through color, texture, and national ornamentation.
Berik Alibay Satinbekovich — Master Jeweller and Keeper of Kazakh Ornament
Berik Alibay Satinbekovich is one of Kazakhstan’s most revered traditional jewellers, celebrated for his mastery in preserving and reimagining the ancient artistry of the steppe. Born in 1970 in the Almaty region, he studied at the A. Kasteev Art College and later at the Kazakh National Academy of Arts, where he cultivated his deep understanding of Kazakh ornamentation, metalwork, and sacred symbolism.
Over the decades, Berik has become a central figure in the revival of national jewellery traditions. His intricate creations—crafted in silver, gold, and semi-precious stones—reflect a dialogue between past and present, where geometric motifs and spiritual forms carry the legacy of nomadic craftsmanship into modern art. His work has been exhibited in Kazakhstan, Russia, France, Germany, and China, and is featured in both museum and private collections.
As part of Nomara, guests are invited to join Berik for an intimate masterclass. Over the course of this immersive experience, participants will gain insight into his creative process, explore the symbolism and construction of Kazakh jewellery. The visit also includes a private tour of his museum, home to rare ornaments, tools, and archival works that trace the evolution of Kazakh adornment through centuries.
Kamilya Suleimenova – Kazakh Artist & Designer
Kamilya transforms traditional felt into modern wearable art. Her journey with felt began with a simple gift — a handmade vest from her mother. Curious about how it was made, Kamilya immersed herself in the ancient craft and quickly fell in love with its warmth, texture, and deep cultural roots.
What started as a hobby soon grew into a calling. In 2016, she presented her first children’s collection at General Fashion Kids — and it sold out within days. Since then, Kamilya’s felt designs have been showcased at White Milano during Milan Fashion Week and represented in London showrooms, capturing international attention for their unique blend of tradition and innovation.
Kamilya’s work reimagines felt — not just as a national symbol, but as a living, modern material that bridges past and present. She plays with color, geometry, and texture to reveal the material’s versatility — from minimalist monochrome to vibrant, playful forms.
Today, through her workshops, Kamilya invites others to experience the meditative joy of felting. Her mission is to revive and share this timeless craft with a new generation — to show that felt can be both sustainable and deeply artistic, connecting us to nature, heritage, and creativity.
Nurdos Aliaskarov — Ethno-Modern Mastery in Metal and Stone
For over two decades, artist-jeweler Nurdos Aliaskarov has redefined the boundaries of Kazakh artistry through his distinctive ethno-modern style. A graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and founder of Nurdos Jewellery Studio (est. 2008), he merges the spiritual essence of nomadic heritage with refined contemporary aesthetics.
Working with gold, silver, and rare minerals, Nurdos transforms precious materials into symbolic narratives. His creations have graced international stages—from Astana and Almaty to Paris, Milan, Rome, and Brussels—captivating audiences at major fashion and jewellery weeks. Each piece bears the mark of both tradition and transcendence, a dialogue between the earth’s treasures and human imagination.
His signature works, such as the Bird of Happiness Brooch, Tengr Pendant, and Silk Road Collection Bracelets, evoke journeys both spiritual and geographical. The Bird of Happiness gleams in sterling silver with 24-karat gold plating, adorned with diamond, coral, and star ruby, symbolizing serenity and prosperity. The Silk Road pieces weave together jadeite, turquoise, amethyst, and citrine, echoing the rich mosaic of ancient trade routes.
This December, Nurdos joins Atlas & Nation’s Christmas Edition of Nomara as a guest instructor, guiding participants through the art of bracelet-making. Over a two-day workshop, guests will explore design, composition, and metalwork under his personal mentorship—culminating in a finished handcrafted bracelet to take home as both a personal creation and a story of Kazakh craftsmanship.
Zhanna Assanova – Artist and Curator
Zhanna Assanova is an artist and curator based in Kazakhstan whose work challenges the boundaries between adornment and art. Her creative vision lies in transforming jewelry into a language of ideas — a medium through which emotion, identity, and cultural reflection take form.
Having participated in major international showcases such as New York City Jewelry Week and Munich Jewelry Week, Zhanna discovered the profound potential of contemporary jewelry to express concepts beyond material beauty. These global experiences revealed a gap back home — a need to introduce Kazakhstan’s audience to jewelry as a form of intellectual and artistic expression.
Inspired by the conviction that “if you can’t join it — lead it,” Zhanna founded Syldyr, Kazakhstan’s pioneering platform for contemporary jewelry art. Through this pioneering platform, she unites local artists, curators, and designers under a shared vision: to elevate jewelry as a contemporary art form and connect Kazakhstan’s creative community to international dialogues.
Zhanna’s curatorial and artistic practice intertwines tradition with experimentation, exploring how cultural heritage, symbolism, and modern aesthetics coexist within wearable art. Each exhibition she curates — and each piece she creates — becomes a bridge between past and present, material and meaning.
Through Syldyr and her own artistic journey, Zhanna continues to shape a new narrative for Kazakh jewelry art: one that gleams not only with metal and stone, but with imagination, intellect, and identity.
Signature Atlas & Nation Inclusions
“Speak Like a Local” Audio Companion Pack
Learn key Kazakh phrases and expressions through our exclusive audio + PDF guide, recorded by native speakers.
- 40+ everyday phrases for markets, greetings, and table talk
- English + Kazakh side-by-side for easy learning
- Helps you connect naturally with your instructors and hosts
Guided Tour of the Green Bazaar
Step inside Almaty’s legendary Green Bazaar with a local food historian as your guide.
- Decode the stories behind Kazakh spices, teas, and sweets
- Learn how to taste, barter, and buy like a local
- Discover the Silk Road origins of Kazakhstan’s culinary soul
Behind-the-Scenes Farm Access
Enjoy private entry to one of our partner farms — camel, sheep, kumis, or falconry — depending on seasonal and local availability.
- Meet herders and falconers preserving nomadic traditions
- Sample fresh shubat (camel’s milk) or kumis (fermented mare’s milk)
- Learn how these living heritages shape Kazakh rural life today
Parhouse Banya Experience – Kazakh Wellness Ritual
Relax and rejuvenate at Parhouse, Almaty’s contemporary banya blending heritage and serenity.
- Russian steam rooms (banya) or a hammam (Turkish bath)
- Plunge Pool and relaxation area
- Modern cozy atmosphere
Parhouse Banya Experience – Kazakh Wellness Ritual
Relax and rejuvenate at Parhouse, Almaty’s contemporary banya blending heritage and serenity.
- Russian steam rooms (banya) or a hammam (Turkish bath)
- Plunge Pool and relaxation area
- Modern cozy atmosphere
Atlas & Nation Alumni Circle – Creative Traveller Membership
Continue your journey as part of our Atlas & Nation Alumni Circle, a private network for past travellers.
- Early access to new routes and limited-edition tours + circle membership (£100.00)
- Invitations to alumni-only gatherings and recipe swaps
- Exclusive 10% discount (£120 off) Atlas & Nation Atelier Package 3
And You Get All This…
10 Day Tour
Actual Bonuses Cost: £679.99
Total Value (Tour + Bonuses): £4,179.99
14 Day Tour
Actual Bonuses Cost: £679.99
Total Value (Tour + Bonuses): £5,234.99
Your price: £4390 (VAT included)
Flexible Payment Options:
Book early and stretch your payments over more months — the sooner you reserve your place, the smaller each installment. You can pay monthly, in three parts, or all at once — whatever suits your budget. (All balances must be settled 30 days before departure.)
Example Payment Plans (10-Day Tour):
- 3 months — £1,120.00 per month
- 4 months — £840.00 per month
- 5 months — £672.00 per month
Example Payment Plans (14-Day Tour):
- 3 months — £1,471.67 / £1,471.67 / £1,471.66
- 4 months — £1,103.75 per month
- 5 months — £883.00 per month
Includes everything: accommodation, guides, airport pickup, internal flights and trains between regions, gear access, and creative mentorship.
Flights & Protection
International flights are not included. We’ll send recommended flight windows after booking.
If you’d like us to arrange flights on your behalf, this will be available once our ATOL licence is active.
GUARANTEE: We believe in the quality of every Atlas & Nation experience. If, after completing your tour, you feel we didn’t deliver what was promised, you can request a refund under our Money-Back Guarantee. Simply contact us within 7 days of your tour’s end — we’ll review your feedback promptly and make it right wherever we’ve fallen short.
Why Does the Tour Cost This Much?
Because you’re not just paying for 10 days away.
You’re paying for:
- Private access to master artisans, scent-makers, or locations normally closed to the public
- Hands-on creative workshops with local legends—not hobby instructors
- A micro-group of 10 people max, not a busload
- All lodging, ground transport, excursions, and most meals covered
- A full-time bilingual guide and translator
- Materials, permits, and cultural consultation
- The priceless creative assets you leave with
You could try doing this alone.
- Track down instructors
- Track down guides
- Book Drivers
- Book hotels
- Book internal flights or trains
- Develop your own learning curriculum
Here’s what it might cost:
- Each Private instructor (10 days): £800+ (On average between 10-15 instructors per tour)
- Workshop materials: £250
- Interpreter: £600+
- Driver/vehicle: £500–£800
- 10 nights boutique lodging: £700–£1,100
- Entry fees, permits, extras: £300
- Your own planning time: countless hours
- Approximate Total: £10350.00
Or you could let us do the hard part.
We’ve curated, translated, and tested every step—so you can just create
We’ve put it together for £3,000–£4,000 GBP minimum—and that’s without the insider access, curation, or community.
We deliver it for less—without cutting corners.
Because our mission is cultural equity, not markup.
Limited Spots by Design.
⚠️ Only 4 tours per year.
⚠️ Only 8–10 creatives per tour.
⚠️ No repeat dates—once it’s full, it’s gone.
This is not a sightseeing tour. This is a creative rebirth.
A trip where you smell the story. Stitch the silence. Shape your thoughts into something tangible.
If you’re a creator, healer, artisan, or wanderer looking for something real—this is your sign.
—this is for you.
👉 Ready to create something unforgettable?
Spots are limited. Start your creative reinvention—reserve now. Your canvas is waiting.
- No other operator offers this - none.
- No other tour gives you this amount of depth or immersion.
- No generic tourist traps—authenticity and depth guaranteed
- No planning stress—logistics, translation, accommodations, and meals handled
- No repeats. No reruns. One departure. One story
Upcoming Schedule
Season
Spring Start
High Summer
Winter Close
Tour Name
Nomara
Nomara
Nomara
Dates (2026)
May 10 – May 19
Aug 20 – Sep 2
Dec 3 – Dec 12
Days
10-day – Spring Atelier
14-day – Summer Studio
10-day – Winter Atelier
Price
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
Reserve your seat now.
Or risk watching someone else post the reel that should’ve been yours.
If you reach the end of the tour and don’t feel it delivered the creative spark, insight, or transformation you were promised, we’ll refund your money—no questions asked.