The Famous Barskaun Gorge
The majestic mountain range of Terskey Alatoo frames the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. Hidden within its slopes are numerous magnificent paradise spots with picturesque landscapes. One of them is the Barskaun Gorge, which is about 30 kilometers long.
At the very beginning of the Barskaun Gorge lies the village of the same name, which was known in ancient times as Barskhan. In the past, this was the residence of a khan, and nearby were the cities of Lower and Greater Barskhan. The slopes of the gorge are covered with a carpet of green steppe vegetation. Following this is the realm of beautiful Tien Shan spruces, among which are nestled shrubs of barberry, sea buckthorn, rowan, raspberry, currant, honeysuckle, and wild rose.
All of this together creates not only a wonderful visual picture but also imparts a unique aroma of the untouched plant world. From here, there is also a grand view of Lake Issyk-Kul.
The gorge is famous for its waterfalls. One of the most well-known is "Tears of the Leopard." In addition to the "Tears of the Leopard" waterfall, three others are noteworthy: "Beard of the Elder," "Champagne Splashes," and "Cup of Manas." The latter, according to legend, was formed after Manas scooped water with his hand, leaving a bowl in the rock.
Many small rivers flowing into the Barskaun River are gold-bearing, and on sunny days, tiny grains of gold dust sparkle along their banks. The Barskaun Gorge is traversed by a road leading to the Kumtor Pass (4000 m), where at the "Kumtor" mine, the Canadian gold mining company Centerra Gold Ltd. (Kyrgyzstan owns 33% of the shares of this company) extracts gold through the "Kumtor Operating Company."
At an altitude of 2800 meters, juniper trees are more commonly found, forming groves in places. The heavy snow masses of endless glaciers are visible in all their glory. Among them, the peaks named after the Heroes of Panfilov (4610 m) and the World Council of Peace (4310 m) are held in special esteem. At the very entrance to the gorge, on the brown vertical edge of the rock, one can see a meter-high image of a leaping goat. A little further on are the remnants of a mighty fortress that stood here from the 9th to the 14th centuries.
It is worth noting that the Barskaun Gorge, bypassing the Bedel Pass (height 4284 m), was one of the routes of the Great Silk Road to China. This area is also interesting because it was the birthplace of the outstanding scholar Mahmud al-Kashgari. There are also monuments here - a Soviet truck mounted on a pedestal and a bust of Yuri Gagarin. The great cosmonaut rested on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul after his first flight into space.