We’ve been travelling a Silk Road route in Central Asia, and recently visited the ancient Silk Road city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. Leaving there, we flew to Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek to catch a transfer taxi to take us on a 5-hour road trip further into Kyrgyzstan. Our first stop on our road trip was in the town of Tokmok to visit Burana Tower, a remnant of the 10th century city of Balasagun.
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| Artist’s impression of the original Burana Tower, Kyrgyzstan |
The tower, along with ruins of a castle, grave markers, and three mausoleums are all that remain of Balasagun, a large Silk Road city. The tower was built in the 11th century of burnt brick, and at the time, was 40 m high. Now-days, it is only 24 m high thanks to many earthquakes over the centuries. Thought to be the minaret of the Balasagun Jami Mosque, it is one of the first structures of this type in Central Asia.
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| Leigh at Burana Tower (UNESCO) and balbals, Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan |
The tower is accessed at around the 12 m mark by an external staircase, and there is another very tight and tiny staircase that winds around the tower on the inside. It is a unique design, and this has made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also visited the collection of 6th to 10th-century balbals (grave-markers), the castle ruins, and an onsite museum. It was an interesting visit.
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| Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan |
Our next stop was in the small town of Cholpon Ata, so we could see Issyk Kul (a kul is a lake). At around 180 km long and 60 km wide, Issyk Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and 2nd largest alpine lake in the world (after Titicaca). We stayed in a quaint guest house in Cholpon Ata, right near the lake.
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| A petrograph in a rock-strewn field (UNESCO), Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan |
On one of our forays into Cholpon Ata township, we strayed a little further to find an open-air UNESCO site of petroglyphs, which are carvings made by chipping directly into a rock with a stone chisel and a hammerstone. The site is around 104 acres in size and consists of a rock-strewn field with about 2,000 rocks showing carvings that date from 800 BC to 1200 AD. Most show animals, and life during those times.
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| Scenery from Cholpon Ata to Karakol, Kyrgyzstan |
After a few days at Cholpon Ata, we drove to Karakol at the eastern end of Issyk Kul. The drive was quite scenic with the mountains and the lake almost constantly within sight. Along the route, we also noted the houses with decorated shutters and windows as we’d seen in Russia, and cemeteries with headstones that were a mini-frame of a yurt, or like a mini-mausoleum.
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| Some shops in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan |
A few hours later, we arrived in Karakol. Our hotel was well located, with plenty of food options close-by, and a very short walk into the low-rise city centre. Karakol is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan with a population of around 85,000. Its location on Issyk Kul puts it at a crossroad between nearby China to its east, and the rest of Central Asia to its west, and people from those areas can be seen in the makeup of Karakol’s population and shops.
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| The bazaar (L). Monument and children’s playground (R), Karakol, Kyrgyzstan |
On one of our walks into the centre, we visited the local bazaar. It is a little different to other bazaars we’d been to in that the stalls are in small buildings with doors, rather than being an open soft-sheltered space. We also wandered through some lovely parks, found interesting monuments, and discovered a children’s playing area that was being put to good use.
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| Chinese styled Dungan Mosque (L) and Russian Orthodox Church (R), Karakol, Kyrgyzstan |
On another jaunt, we discovered the unique Dungan Mosque which was built in 1910 in the style of a Chinese temple without using any nails. Dugans are Chinese Muslims who fled persecution in the 19th century, with many ending up in Karakol. We also found a beautiful wooden Russian Orthodox Church built in 1872.
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| Barskoon Waterfall and Jeti-Oguz (top), & Marg in a meadow and locals camping in yurts, Karakol |
The next day, we hired a taxi to transport us up into the nearby hills, and had a wonderful day. Our first stop was the Barskoon Waterfalls, a chain of 3 waterfalls falling from different heights. Our next stop was the Austria-like Kok Jayik Valley, which was so beautiful that Marg was inspired to do a Julie Andrews impersonation in the meadow. Last was Jeti-Oguz where we saw interesting red rocks known as the Seven Bulls. At each site, we saw locals camping in their yurts, horse riding and tramping.
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| We do love Karakol, and Kyrgyzstan |
Kyrgyzstan has been interesting notwithstanding the wide-spread poverty, low standard of living and education levels, and rampant corruption. It is now undergoing a revival though, using festivals aimed at restoring cultural practices and stimulating pride in being a Kyrgyz, such as competitions in yurt making, national dish cooking, national dance, national horse games, and so on – all positive. We’ve enjoyed Kyrgyzstan, but now it’s time to move to our next country, Kazakhstan.
This blog is one in a series about our travels along the Silk Road of Central Asia.