Temirtau is a city in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Region whose name translates from Kazakh as “Iron Mountain.” This is not a poetic metaphor but an almost technical definition. The city emerged around the country’s largest metallurgical plant, now operating as Qarmet JSC. Its identity has long been shaped by metal, fire, and labor.
Approaching Temirtau, the first thing you notice is the skyline of smoking chimneys. The environmental situation here remains challenging and is an unmistakable part of the city’s image.
General Information
As of 2025, Temirtau has a population of about 180,000. Located just 30 km from Karaganda, it is often seen as the city’s industrial satellite. However, Temirtau has its own history, character, and rhythm.
A detail that may surprise visitors: Temirtau still operates a tram system. Today, only three cities in Kazakhstan can claim a functioning tram network.
From Settlement to Industrial City
Temirtau’s history dates back to 1905, when the small village of Jaur was founded. It was later renamed Samarkandsky. In the late 1920s, a geological expedition worked in the area. Although no mineral deposits were discovered, the expedition left behind a statement: “The area around the village of Samarkandsky seems destined by nature itself to become the future center of Kazakhstan’s ferrous metallurgy.”
In 1934, Karaganda was founded, and Samarkandsky became one of its districts. In 1945, the settlement was separated into an independent city and renamed Temirtau.
The 1950s marked a turning point with the start of construction of a major metallurgical plant. More than 8,000 young people arrived in Temirtau as part of this large-scale industrial project. Among them was Nursultan Nazarbayev, the future first president of Kazakhstan. He worked here as a cast iron maker and later as a blast furnace operator.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the metallurgical plant went through several ownership changes. In 1995, it was transferred to Ispat International and subsequently renamed Ispat-KarMet, later Mittal Steel Temirtau, and in 2007 ArcelorMittal Temirtau. A tragic explosion at the Kostenko mine on October 28, 2023, which claimed the lives of 46 miners, led to the termination of cooperation with ArcelorMittal. That same year, the enterprise was rebranded as Qarmet, the name under which it operates today.
What Draws Travelers to Temirtau
Temirtau is not a destination for postcard views or polished cityscapes. Instead, it appeals to travelers who are drawn to:
- industrial tourism
- Soviet and post-Soviet architecture
- the history of metallurgy and large-scale industrial projects
- the raw atmosphere of a working industrial city without embellishment