Opening of the Kazakh Cultural Centre “Qazaq Roots” in Ghent

The programme introduced visitors to Kazakh national dress, cuisine and music. with performances alternating between classical violin and the dombra, the two stringed instrument central to Kazakh musical heritage. The organisers also prepared information on tourism in Kazakhstan, including materials prepared in cooperation with Visit Almaty. Programme also included workshops on travel in Kazakhstan and introductory Kazakh language lessons, where guests had the opportunity to engage with the culture beyond passive observation.

“Qazaq Roots” president Mainur Zhumanova said the centre had been pulled organised in just one month of intensive preparation following years of informal discussion within the local diaspora community. "This event is historical for us, and for the Kazakh community in Flanders," she said. "Our centre is for people from Kazakhstan who live here in Belgium, but also for everyone who wants to learn more about the country. It is also very important for tourism in Kazakhstan, which we promote." Vice president Farziia Imanberdina added context on the choice of location: "There is already a centre in Brussels, so Flanders should also have one." The decision to settle in Ghent was helped by an earlier connection between the president and Michiel Lawaert, with whom she had maintained good communication over time and who supported the initiative at the venue level.

A highlight of the programme was a presentation by Maxime Verdoodt, a Belgian enthusiast of Kazakh travel, who shared his perspective on why the country remains one of Europe's most overlooked tourist destinations. "For skiing, Kazakhstan has everything you need at a good price and good quality, even compared to the Alps, where you pay a lot of money but the quality isn't always the best," he said. Verdoodt recommended that visitors hoping to experience Kazakhstan's natural landscapes head to Almaty in the south, while those more drawn to museums and cultural sights would find Astana, the capital, a better fit.

The broader significance of the Ghent centre extends beyond a single evening of food, music, and presentations. With growing EU-Central Asia engagement following the Samarkand summit last year, cultural institutions of this kind quietly perform the work of diplomacy on a human scale. For the Kazakh people living in Belgium, along with the hundreds of Kazakhstani-born children adopted by Belgian families, “Qazaq Roots” offers a permanent space to reconnect with a language, cuisine, and identity that remain underrepresented on the European cultural map.