Kyrgyzstan: Ancient and Modern
In which places on the planet can one today encounter untouched, pristine beauty? They are becoming fewer and fewer, and they are retreating higher and higher into... the mountains. Yes, it is the mountains that have been least disturbed by human activity. And it is precisely the mountains that occupy almost three-quarters of the territory of Kyrgyzstan, whose valleys stretch beneath the skies — the lowest of them at an altitude of no less than five hundred meters above sea level. This fact alone makes the Republic one of the most interesting regions for tourists.
Kyrgyzstan is located in the heart of the Tien Shan mountains. Its neighbors — the republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan — border it to the north and west. Tajikistan shares a border with the Pamirs. China borders it to the east with the Taklamakan Desert. All these names are known to almost the entire world. And only Kyrgyzstan, among its "famous" neighbors, situated mostly in the Tien Shan, still remains an unknown world of the mountains of Central Asia. Even the great conquerors of Asia, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, only reached the outskirts of this region.
Kyrgyzstan covers an area of 198.5 thousand square kilometers. On a territory stretching 900 kilometers from west to east and 400 kilometers from south to north, one could fit Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands combined. The northern point of Kyrgyzstan is located at the same latitude as Rome, while the southern point is at the same latitude as the island of Sicily. The borders of Kyrgyzstan with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China mainly follow mountain ridges and rivers.
Kyrgyzstan — the land of "forty girls" — as the popular translation goes — is an exclusively mountainous country, as three-quarters of its territory lies at an altitude of over 1500 meters, and more than half of its peaks are above 3000 meters.
Do you know what "Tien Shan" means in Russian? "Heavenly Mountains." The country of Heavenly Mountains — this is another name for our republic. From west to east, 88 powerful ridges of a grand mountain system traverse its territory. Their main peaks, reaching far beyond the clouds, are known worldwide: Victory Peak (7439 meters above sea level), Lenin Peak (7134 m), the pyramid of the legendary Khan Tengri made of white-pink marble (6955 m)... The Tien Shan ridges, whose peaks are covered with snow and glaciers even in summer, are called Aala-Too, which means "Colorful Mountains." Snow never melts from the peaks at altitudes from 3600 to 4600 meters — depending on the amount of precipitation and the location of the mountains.
Glaciers are our Kyrgyz "Arctic." You can also experience "tundra," relax among deciduous and coniferous forests, admire the expanses of green steppes, and feel what a hot desert is like. Here is the full diversity of climatic zones of Eurasia. The exceptional variety and colorfulness of natural complexes are determined both by Kyrgyzstan's remoteness from the sea and its proximity to the deserts of Central and Central Asia, as well as by the significant elevation of the territory above sea level and the strong dissection of the relief.
To survey almost all existing types of landscapes in our country, it is enough to ascend through the gorge from the foothills to the upper reaches. With every two hundred meters of ascent, the air temperature drops by 1 degree. The higher you go, the thinner the air layer becomes: the amount of oxygen and atmospheric pressure decreases. And already from the realm of colorful steppe, you enter the harsh land of eternal ice.
However, it is not just about altitude. The landscapes of the northern and southern slopes of the mountains differ remarkably from each other. On the slopes facing north, the sun's rays fall more obliquely and therefore give off heat more sparingly. Here, snow lingers longer, frosts end later, and begin earlier. These slopes are covered with forests, mainly coniferous. On the opposite side, where the heating is stronger, the snow melts earlier, and plants vegetate longer. These slopes are covered with semi-deserts, steppes, and mixed forests.
The nature on the slopes exposed to moist winds and those in the "wind shadow" is diverse. The wettest place in the republic is the western slopes of the Fergana Range, while the driest is near the city of Balykchy. In winter, the temperature is lower in the valleys than on the surrounding slopes. Cold air, being heavier, flows down from the slopes into the valleys and displaces the warm, lighter air upwards.
Nature is "multi-storey" not only in space but also in time. Sometimes, it takes just a few hours to travel from autumn to summer or from winter to spring: in the mountains, at different altitudes, several different seasons coexist simultaneously. In our Tien Shan, spring rises by an average of one hundred meters every three days. The same amount of time is needed for autumn to descend one hundred meters from the glaciers.
There are almost eight thousand glaciers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The area of glaciation covers about eight thousand square kilometers — 4 percent of the entire territory of the republic. This is significantly more than the area of the glaciers in the Alps and the Caucasus combined. The glaciers of Kyrgyzstan are a unique reservoir of fresh water, the main reserve and source of water resources for Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Here, 580 billion cubic meters of moisture are concentrated. How to imagine such a quantity? Very simply: it has been calculated that if the glaciers of Kyrgyzstan were to melt, the water could cover the entire territory with a three-meter layer! Of course, no one intends to melt them, nor is it within human capability to do so at this time. By naturally releasing moisture, these glaciers sustain the life of many oases in our republic, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, feeding rivers and lakes.
More than 40 thousand rivers and streams flow through Kyrgyzstan. They rush down at a steep incline and therefore do not freeze. Their total length is 150 thousand kilometers, and the annual runoff is 47 cubic kilometers. One-fifth of this runoff is used in the republic, while the remaining water flows into Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Names of rivers such as Chui or Naryn are widely known, but there are also other not-so-small rivers — Kara-Darya, Sary-Jaz, Sukh, Keke-Meren, Chatkal, Isfayram-Sai.
The uniquely high-altitude, non-freezing lake Issyk-Kul, with its wonderful comfortable climate along the shore and golden sandy beaches, is truly a gem of our mountainous region. But this is by no means the only lake in Kyrgyzstan. There are about two thousand lakes of various origins — tectonic and dam, glacial and karst. There are giant lakes that can rival some seas in volume and depth, as well as temporary tiny lakes that, due to their miniature size and short lifespan, are not even marked on topographic maps. If we return to Issyk-Kul, it is worth mentioning that there are significantly more sunny days on its shores than on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus or in Crimea. In winter, one can enjoy skiing and snowboarding on the magnificent slopes located an hour's drive from the lake, as well as combine relaxation with health improvement through mud and thermal mineral waters.
The flora of the republic is diverse, with about four thousand species of higher plants alone. Guests of the republic do not hide their surprise: along city streets and highways, apple trees, apricots, and cherries grow, delighting the eye with their beautiful fruits. If you travel further away from civilization, you can see the largest relic nut forests in the world, enter unique forests of Tien Shan fir, Semenov's spruce, long-lived juniper, pistachio, and almond. Forests cover about 350 thousand hectares of the republic, more than half of which is occupied by coniferous species. We have the largest thickets of the healing sea buckthorn berry in the country, as well as plenty of barberry, wild black currant, honeysuckle, and rosehip. Scientists have counted more than a hundred species of mushrooms growing in Kyrgyzstan, and about two hundred species of medicinal herbs. Just the contemplation of alpine meadows covered with a colorful carpet of bright flowers will noticeably improve your well-being and reveal the beauty of the world to you! 65 species of plants and 42 species of animals found in Kyrgyzstan are listed in the Red Book of the republic. Five representatives of Kyrgyz fauna — the gazelle, argali, red wolf, Menzbir marmot, and gray monitor lizard — are included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In total, about 40 percent of mammal species and 65 percent of other animal species found in the territories of neighboring countries are present in the republic.
Kyrgyzstan is unmatched in the diversity of types and quantities of mineral and thermal waters, healing muds, concentrated in a small area. To date, more than 10 groups of thermal mineral springs have been identified: carbonated (like "Narzan," "Borjomi," "Arzni," "Essentuki"), thermal, hydrogen sulfide, saline, iodine-bromine, and brines. Natural resources amount to about 60 thousand cubic meters per day.
What has been said, I believe, is enough to conclude that Kyrgyzstan possesses exceptionally rich natural and climatic resources for the development of tourism, which are by no means inferior, and in many respects surpass the resources of the most famous tourist areas of the Alps or the Caucasus. Here, everything necessary for summer and winter recreation in the mountains with increased psycho-physiological loads, beneficial for people of all ages, is available. Clean, ozonated air, increased radiant energy from the sun, and the emotional uplift from encountering the pristine beauty of nature — who would not benefit from this? Moreover, overcoming mountain obstacles and the physical efforts inevitably involved in any mountain journey only help regulate the cardiovascular system, activate blood formation processes, and train the body to cope easily with unfavorable and extreme conditions. Athletes and cosmonauts have long used the phenomenon of the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to improve their performance, allowing them to achieve remarkable results.
At the same time, Kyrgyzstan is of considerable interest to that category of tourists who embark on journeys primarily for new knowledge about the history and culture of peoples, for impressions from encounters with new people. More than five thousand historical and cultural monuments of long-gone eras and peoples are located on its territory. There are cave dwellings of primitive man, unique runic inscriptions on boulders, amazing petroglyphs and stone sculptures, remnants of ancient settlements, and medieval fortresses that impress with their inaccessibility and rationality. The Great Silk Road once passed through the territory of the republic, and today one can see the ruins of settlements and caravanserais that were located along it and welcomed traveling merchants. Among the most significant archaeological and architectural monuments are Suleiman Mountain, the Uzgen architectural complex, the Burana tower, the Shah-Fazil mausoleum, and the Tash-Rabat caravanserai, all of which will leave no one indifferent.
Compared to neighboring republics, Kyrgyzstan has held a special place for oratory since ancient times. The unique epic "Manas," which contains more than 200 thousand lines from the history of the Kyrgyz people and celebrates courage, love of freedom, and perseverance in achieving great ideas, is unparalleled.
Guests will also be captivated by the modern republic with its cities that have their unique character, with original architecture that embodies national traditions. Visitors to the republic will be able to get acquainted with the unique culture of the Kyrgyz people, their traditions and customs, engaging games and competitions, try dishes from the national cuisine, and purchase souvenirs from famous folk crafts.
Next, we will tell you about just a few of the many attractions of the region. "Better to see once than to hear a hundred times," says folk wisdom. Let us follow its advice...
What is Kyrgyzstan rich in, what can it offer to tourists?
One of the most astonishing customs of the Kyrgyz people, which has roots in ancient times, is the tradition of hospitality. A guest who arrives at a home receives a gift from the hosts, something they like. The gift could be anything: a carpet, a blanket, a bowl, a whip, or a saddle, a lamb, or a puppy of a fierce shepherd dog. This custom is not surprising if one remembers that the conditions of nomadic life made encounters between people as rare as they were desirable. After all, a guest is the only, to use modern language, opportunity for communication with the outside world. They bring new stories and songs, unheard melodies, and fantastic events from distant lands...
In the conditions of modern urbanization, when guests in homes are not so rare, only fragments of the former tradition have survived. But from a Kyrgyz home, you will never be sent away without a gift. In the bag prepared by a caring hostess, you may find slices of meat and traditional boorsoks...
The fates of customs are interesting. Some fade away, deprived of their relevance by Chronos. Others penetrate and dissolve in other national cultures, becoming universal. Still, others acquire new sounds and meanings.
What about the tradition of gift-giving? The tradition is there to be upheld. And anyone who comes to the republic can take a gift with them. Gifts can be different. Food will be eaten, clothes worn out, flowers wilted. But forever, as long as a person lives, they will retain the imperishable gifts of a land once seen: impressions and memories of an amazing mountainous country, the sky-piercing mountains, the aquamarine Kyrgyz sea, mysterious caves, and relic nut forests, exotic flora and fauna.
What are we rich in... What we are rich in, we are glad for. There is much to rejoice about in Kyrgyzstan. The nature of the republic is as colorful and rich in diversity as the climate, landscapes, and the animal and plant world are varied, that just a dry enumeration would take a lot of time. It is no coincidence that geographers introduced the concept of vertical zonation specifically for mountainous areas. A few hundred meters up — and you are already in new natural and climatic conditions. So let us separately consider the plant resources, animal life, ethnographic exoticism, balneology, and historical and cultural monuments.
What enchanting allure do the mountains have? What do they entice with? Just once getting caught in their nets — and you will yearn, remember, and return for a lifetime. What is it? Beauty playing with contrasts? Or the power before which a person feels like a grain of sand in the universe, who just yesterday called himself the king of nature? Yes, the nature of the Tien Shan impresses with its beauty, contrasts, brightness, richness, and uniqueness of flora. Let us recall the confession of naturalist Kashkarov: "Whoever has walked the mountain path of the Tien Shan even once is a slave forever, and they will carry their chains with love until the grave!"
