Four Kyrgyz Types of Settlements

Kyrgyz Settlements

The character of the settlement, as well as the dwellings themselves, shows great diversity in southern Kyrgyzstan, influenced by a number of historical, social, economic, and geographical factors.

Kyrgyz villages in the 19th and early 20th centuries were sharply different from the Tajik and Uzbek villages bordering them. The latter were characterized by narrow (straight and winding) streets with high walls surrounding each homestead.

The entire appearance of these villages testified to the strength of long-standing settlement. There were many gardens, orchards, and vineyards in and around the villages.

N. S. Lyukoshin provides a description of Kyrgyz settlements located amidst Tajik villages in the Chapkulluk volost.

The type of Kyrgyz village he describes is typical for the initial stage of their formation and in some other places in Southern Kyrgyzstan. Here is his description: “The Kyrgyz village has no strictly laid out houses and alleys: in most cases, they are separate homesteads, resembling small farms, located in one or two rows along the river or on the sides of a dry ravine. Fences are rare here, and if they do occur, they serve only as a barrier to protect against grazing and are not intended to shield the interior of the yard from prying eyes.”

A significant factor influencing the type of settlement was the nature of the terrain and the water source, the diversity of which is so characteristic of the region.

Currently, approximately four types of settlements can be distinguished here.

The first type includes settlements located in mountain gorges. The homesteads are situated on the slopes and at the bottom of the gorge. Houses are built either in groups, tiers, or haphazardly, individually. They do not have strict orientation, although there is a tendency for their facades to face south, southeast, or southwest. More often, houses are built parallel to or at an angle to the ravine. The water source in such villages is an irrigation canal or a river running at the bottom of the gorge. The land on the surrounding mountain outcrops is used for arable farming, on suitable plots for plowing.

It is characteristic that the Kyrgyz sought to build their homestead as high as possible. Despite sometimes steep slopes, the homestead is located at the top, rather than at the bottom, where it would be closer to the water source. Construction, as the elders say, went from top to bottom. This undoubtedly reflects the traditions of nomadic herders accustomed to mountain expanses and clean air.

The first type of settlement is characteristic of the Alai Valley (for example, the village of Djekendy), but is also found in the Batken (village of Raut) and Frunze (village of Kara-Dzhigach) regions.

The second type includes settlements located in mountainous but more open areas. Here, too, the homesteads are placed haphazardly, without any plan or precise orientation, but are grouped, sometimes at a significant distance from one another. The water source is often a spring. The availability of land that yields crops without irrigation was a significant factor in the formation of such settlements. In such a settlement pattern, there are often plots around the homesteads occupied by crops. Examples of such settlements include Kara-Taryk (Uzgen District), Katran (Lailak District), and Sary-Bulak (Soviet District).

The third type can be attributed to settlements on wide plains along or near a river. Here, the arrangement of homesteads is noted in one, two, or more lines, indicating a certain trend towards the formation of streets. Sometimes the settlement stretches in a single line over several kilometers. In some cases, settlements of this type are located along a major road.

Alongside this, there are sometimes homesteads located far from the settlement line. They resemble small farms.

There are significantly more settlements of the third type in the region than of the first and second types. Examples include Terek, Kyzyl-Kiya (Alai District), Lailak (Lailak District), Okhna (Frunze District), Kolmo (Soviet District), and Japalak (Osh District).

The three named types of settlements mainly emerged in the 19th century and have persisted to our time.

The fourth type of settlements emerged during the Soviet period, especially during the years of complete collectivization of agriculture. Their main features are the arrangement of wide streets in a checkerboard pattern, lined with trees, and the presence of strict lines of household plots within blocks. Houses in such settlements face the street with large windows. It is characteristic to have sidewalks with rows of trees planted on them. An example of this type of settlement is Merkyt (collective farm named after Salieva in the Nookat District).

The Transition of the Kyrgyz to Sedentary Life