The "Talas" zone is located in the central part of the Talas River valley and includes the city of Talas, its surroundings, as well as historical and cultural areas with remarkable architectural monuments, among which the mausoleum of Manas holds a special place.
It is advisable to start the acquaintance with the city of Talas. This is a small city, whose growth was long hindered by the weak development of industry. It was founded in 1877 by Russian and Ukrainian settlers on the left bank of the Talas River and was called the village of Dmitrievka. Currently, its development has noticeably revived thanks to the food and light industries. One of the attractions of Talas is a park of poplar-willow and birch forest, located to the north and stretching along the arms of the Talas River. Here lies the Talas Complex Nature Reserve, covering an area of 2,500 hectares, intended for the protection of floodplain forests. The abundance of sunshine and greenery, the powerful mountain river with clear water, and the invigorating coolness of the mountain air attract tourists from many corners of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Poplar-willow forests also grow in the valleys of the Naryn River and its tributaries. Among the wild-growing poplars in Kyrgyzstan, the laurel-leaved and Uzbekistan poplar can be found.
The most vivid impressions are left by the architectural monuments located near the city of Talas. 22 kilometers northeast of it, at the foot of the Manastyn-Chokudy mountain, near the village of Tash-Aryk, there is an ancient cemetery. On its territory stands the oldest of the preserved mausoleums in Kyrgyzstan — the mausoleum of Manas. This is one of the most interesting architectural monuments of Central Asia from the 14th century, which has attracted the attention of scholars and tourists since ancient times. Research by the scholar M. E. Masson established that this majestic mausoleum was built in 1334 for the burial of the daughter of Emir Abuki. It has now been restored and presents itself to viewers in all its glory. Four kilometers east of the village of Leninpol, three noteworthy mausoleums built in the 18th-19th centuries have survived at the ancient Kyrgyz cemetery. They differ from each other in architectural solutions of volumes and decorative design of details. Once, there were significantly more mausoleums here, representing a picturesque and interesting ensemble of folk cult architecture.
A reminder of the prosperous period in the 11th-12th centuries is the Ak-Tyube settlement, located east of the city of Talas.
