Sights of Kirghizia. Lake Issyk-Kul

In this article we will tell you about the sights of Kyrgyzstan. All who were fortunate enough to visit this country, generously share their pleasant impressions and are sure to visit it again. "Fabulous", "gorgeous", "beautiful" - that's what epithets are used by tourists in relation to Kyrgyzstan. What causes such admiration? Read our article, and you will immediately become clear!

Some general information about Kyrgyzstan

The sovereign state of Kyrgyzstan is located on the Asian lands of Eurasia. In the west, its borders lie near Uzbekistan, in the north - with Kazakhstan, in the south-west - with Tajikistan, and in the southeast - with China. The total area of the territory is 198 500 km ². On the land of Kyrgyzstan are the mountain peaks of the Tien Shan and the Pamirs, the high-water waters of the Issyk-Kul Lake are splashing, unique nutty relic forests grow and hot sulfur springs are being beaten.

Excursion routes around the country are very diverse. They pass through the ancient settlements of the Great Silk Road, allow you to see the natural sights of Kyrgyzstan, get acquainted with the customs and culture of the people inhabiting these lands, drink real koumiss, taste the real Kyrgyz beshbarmak from the meat of a young lamb. For active travelers it is possible to go on foot or horse trek to high-mountain pastures. In a word - nobody will be bored! In order to travel around this beautiful country, tourists from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus do not need a visa.

The main sights of Kyrgyzstan

• Mountains of the Tien Shan.
• Mountainous country of Pamir-Alai.
• High-altitude lakes: Issyk-Kul, Kara-Kul, Tash-Rabat, Sary-Chelek, Son-Kul.
• The tract Arslanbob.
• The Narym River.
• Dzhety-Oguz Gorge.
• Medieval settlement of Koshoi-Korgon.
• Minaret "The Tower of the Buran".
• Mausoleum of Gumbes-Manas.
• Arashan gorge.
• Rock paintings of Saimaly-Tash.
• Historical and architectural reserve Shah-Fazil.
• Sacred mountain Sulaiman-Too.
• Cholpon-Ata is a resort town on the shore of Issyk-Kul.
• The ancient cities of Osh, Jalal-Abad, Uzgen and much more.

As you can see, there is much to see in Kyrgyzstan. Unfortunately, within the framework of a short article, we can not tell in detail about all the listed sights, we will describe in brief only some of them.

Mountainous country of Tien Shan

Speaking about the sights of Kyrgyzstan, it is impossible not to tell about the beautiful majestic country of Tien Shan (Celestial Mountains). The greater part of the grandiose mountain system is located in the western part of Kirghizia, the other part is on Chinese territory. Most of the Tien-Shan massifs have a so-called alpine relief - alternating beautiful peaks-peaks and sharp ridges, but there are also many mountain plateaus.

Tien Shan is not only mountains, but also wonderful valleys. Those who were fortunate enough to visit the local lands in late spring know how beautiful Kyrgyzstan is in May. In the mountain valleys at this time wild tulips bloom - an unforgettable sight!

At the foot of the ridges stretch picturesque foothills and high-mountain valleys, forming large and small lakes. The highest point of this mountain system is Pobeda Peak, its height is 7439 meters. In the Tien Shan mountains there are many ski resorts: Karakol, Orlovka, Kashka-suu, etc.

High mountain lake - the pearl of Kyrgyzstan

The jewel of Kyrgyzstan is the lake with the purest water, the famous Issyk-Kul for the whole world. Located between the picturesque northern Tien-Shan ridges at an altitude of 1609 m above sea level. About 80 mountain rivers flow into this pond. Issyk-Kul is called the Kirghiz Baikal for the extraordinary transparency of the water. The lake never freezes, even in the winter months.

The area of the reservoir is 1738 km ², the coastline stretches for 688 km, the greatest depth is 278 m. On the shores of the lake there are such resort towns and cities as Karakol, Sary-Oy, Cholpon-Ata, Bosteri, Chon-Sary-Oy, Tamchi .

The nature of Issyk-Kul is unique. There is a very mild climate, healing mountain-sea air (the waters of the lake are slightly brackish) - all this helps restore strength and health. The beaches here are sandy, gentle slopes to the water. Most of the beaches are specially equipped for families.

Wonderful Valley

One of the rivers flowing into Issyk-Kul Lake is called Djety-Oguz; On its shores the nature has created a wonderful mountain gorge, which is called the same as the river itself. Dzhety-Oguz gorge is a ridge of rocky mountains of red color, covered with thickets of forest. These dark green forests against the background of red sandstone create incredible color contrasts.

The total length of the rocks is about 37 km, and the forest tracts stretch for 25 km. At an altitude of 3000 m there is a beautiful valley with magnificent alpine meadows, where the edelweiss blossom. In the Djety-Oguz gorge there are mountain waterfalls and lakes. High in the mountains live lords of high mountains - snow leopards, vultures and eagles hover in the sky.

At the very entrance to the gorge you can see the rock "Broken Heart" - a place of pilgrimage of lovers who adore being photographed against its background. There is a legend that this rock is the heart of a beauty who died of grief when two young men who fought each other for her love died.

Burana Tower

Ancient architectural monuments of Kirghizia are scattered all over the country. In this article we will tell about one of them - the Burana Tower, or the Buran minaret. This structure is located on the banks of the Chu River, twelve kilometers from the city of Tokmak. In ancient times in those places flourished the rich medieval city of Balasagun - the capital of the Karakhanids. The Great Silk Road ran through Balasagun . It was a rich populous settlement. But in 1219 Balasagun was conquered and plundered by the Mongols, and in the fourteenth century ceased to exist at all.

From the former magnificence there was only the Burana Tower - this ancient minaret. Its height in our days is 21.7 m, but archaeologists say that it was once 40 m. Earthquakes destroyed the top part of the tower, but still it looks very majestic. Inside the tower there is a stone spiral staircase, along which you can climb up.

Osh city

Different regions of Kyrgyzstan have their own history and their sights. In the east of the Fergana Valley there is a place in which many tourist routes originate - this is the city of Osh. It is from here that you can start traveling to the Tien Shan Mountains or climbing the Pamirs. In the Osh region are the famous caves of Kirghizia: Chil-Mairom, Keklik-Too and Chil-Ustun.

In the city itself there are many attractions:

• The Shahid-Tepa Mosque.
• Sadykbai Mosque.
• Medieval bath.
• Cave "Echo of Love."
• Ancient cemetery.
• Grotto "Swallow's Nest".
• The Michael-Archangel Church.
• Madrassah of the Alimbek Paravanchi datka.

Not far from Osh there are very beautiful places: Beshik-Tash, Chakki-Tamar, Kyl-Kuprik, Sylik-Tash, Kol-Tash , etc. On three sides the city is surrounded by the Alai Range and high hills. Here you can feel the mighty breathing of the Pamiro-Alai mountains. And in the center of Osh towers his main pride - the five-headed mountain Suleiman-Too, it is over a hundred meters. Legend has it that it was on this rock that the prophet Suleiman offered his prayers to Allah and on ancient stones one can still see prints of his knees and forehead. It is believed that on this mountain, any woman can ask God to grant her the happiness of motherhood and her prayers will be heard.

Conclusion

The beauty of these places can not but cause rave reviews. Kyrgyzstan for many tourists was an opening. We are sure that everyone who reads our article, decides to make a voyage across Kyrgyzstan, will also be fascinated by this country. We wish you all an interesting journey and a bright holiday!