Glad to see someone else notice how deeply strange Astana is. Also note that Kazakhstan is pretty much in the centre of Eurasia and would make a logical capital of the whole continent.
Despite the similarity in name, Khazaria was slightly west of present day Kazakhstan. There may (or may not) be a long-term plan in this ;-)
Yes! For sure, it's location would make it a natural place to have a continental capital. Astana really is in the middle of nowhere, built on a barren landscape, with billions and billions invested into it. It really makes you wonder, what's in store for Astana in the long term.
I had a hunch that maybe it was part of China's new Silk Road but it's a bit too far north to play a direct role in the infrastructure.