The "Maly Naryn" zone encompasses the valley of the river of the same name, located between the ridges of Jetim-Bel, Kapkatap, Karadjorgo, Jetim-Too, Uch-Emchek, and Terskey Ala-Too.
Approximately 25 km from the mouth, where the Maly Naryn flows into the Naryn (2253 m), the river valley makes a sharp turn at a right angle against the southern slopes of the Kapkatash ridge and stretches almost 100 km strictly to the east. On the right bank of the river in the area of the bend and on the northern slopes of the small Nura ridge (length 45 km), park-type spruce forests can be found. Upstream, about 45 km from the bend, the left tributary Archaluu flows into the Maly Naryn. It runs through the valley of the same name, formed by the southern slopes of the Jetim-Bel ridge (Seok - 4620 m) and the northern slopes of the Jetim-Too ridge (4931 m). The slopes are covered with thickets of juniper. The surrounding mountainous elevations are mainly composed of granites, durable gneisses, crystalline schists, and marbles, creating cosmic landscapes among the rocks. The impression is intensified by the evening rays of the sun flooding the frozen stone "cities" with fantastic light. Against the backdrop of the pale sky, the peaks are first painted in yellowish tones, then in orange, and finally ignite with a ghostly garnet light. In the morning, this picture is repeated in reverse order. The pale sky turns blue, and everything around is flooded with bright sunlight.
Cliffs, crags, and alpine meadows are a favorite habitat for the ulars (mountain turkeys), which do not descend below 2000 m above sea level.
Ulars emit a melodic whistle reminiscent of flute sounds. They are the largest bird in Kyrgyzstan from the order of galliformes, weighing up to 3 kilograms. Their meat is excellent in taste and, as people say, has healing properties. Ulars are very freedom-loving; they cannot stand captivity and are therefore rarely found in zoos.
The Maly Naryn is known in its upper reaches as Buurkan. It changes its name after the confluence with Uch-Emchek (a right tributary of Jyluu-Suu). The valley of the Buurkan River, surrounded by the Uch-Emchek and Jetim-Bel ridges, crosses vast areas of gravel plains. Here, a high-altitude cold desert prevails. The harsh climate, the mirrors of small lakes, and the tundra-like vegetation covering the hilly-moraine formations and ancient glacial valleys resemble the landscapes of the distant tundra near the Arctic Ocean. The only difference is the difficulty in breathing and the awareness that one can quickly descend to warmer zones or to the "golden beach" of Issyk-Kul.
Shoulder to shoulder, the peaks are covered with patches of gray clouds. Snow spots whiten on the scree slopes (kuru) of reddish sandstone and ash-gray rocks. The view opens up to lateral hanging valleys that exit into the main valley somewhat higher than the bottom level, and to the glacier-carved depressions—cirques, which have a rounded shape.
Steep snow-covered slopes are crossed by traces of recently fallen avalanches with characteristic cones on the gentle sections. "White death" is how the locals refer to snow avalanches. When an avalanche occurs, clouds of white dust are raised, and along with the snow, a powerful roar is released, accompanied by a ringing echo.
The Buurkan River originates from the lake of the same name, located to the west of the Arabel Pass at an altitude of 3820 m. The lake is 1.5 km long, 550 m wide, and 10 m deep. The outflow from the lake into the river valley occurs through a rocky threshold in a cascade of beautiful waterfalls. The water in the lake is green. The shores are rocky or marshy in places, while the main part has a specific appearance of finely carved islands and peninsulas 2-5 m long.
Within the zone, there are sources of weakly mineralized carbonated waters. The Buurkan spring is located on the left bank near the upper reaches of the river of the same name. Jyluu-Suu is located on the right bank of the river of the same name. Not far from the spring, on the southern slopes of the Terskey Ala-Too ridge, there is a small dammed lake with turquoise water.
On the steep slopes of the ridges, there are real forests of stunted Turkestan juniper. The purest air, rich in phytoncides, slightly intoxicates. Paths along the rivers sometimes pass through thickets of tugai forests, which attract wild boars, porcupines, roe deer, martens, hares, and foxes.
Strictly to the north of the zone, winding around the cliffs, there is a road. The surrounding gorges are covered with moss and lichen. In some places on the steep northern slopes, Tien Shan fir and juniper cling. Soft, rounded forms of peaks accompany the road to the Dolo Pass (3030 m) in the Karadjorgo ridge. A feature of this part of the zone is the sharp changes in weather conditions. It is impossible to describe the nature in the area of the pass better than M. Jangaziev did in his poem "On the Summit of Dolon."
“We climbed to the summit of Dolon by a steep path, fighting the snowstorm.
My companion was surprised that the snowstorm caught us in the mountains this summer.
And just a moment later—the pure heavenly expanse,
The clouds hid in the twists of the mountains.
The mountain whirlwind, lifting snow from the slopes,
Suddenly fell silent, like a fire quenched by water.”
Along the floodplain of the Naryn, there are dense thickets of tugai forests, pleasantly enlivening the surrounding steppe landscape. The natural composition of these forests is very rich, including the laurel-leaved poplar, Tien Shan birch, crooked birch, sharp-leaved and Dzhungarian willows, as well as numerous shrubs, among which the mirkaria and the very valuable and tasty sea buckthorn stand out.
Fifty kilometers from the confluence of the Maly and Bolshoy Naryn, the Naryn-Too and Jetim-Too ridges converge, enclosing the valley. The river rages in the gorge, licking the rocky banks of the canyon with foamy tongues of waves. Above the right bank, the shining glaciers of the Jetim-Too ridge loom. The left side is dominated by a peak 4531 m high in the Naryn-Too ridge. The relatively high humidity of the southern slopes of the Jetim-Too ridge creates conditions for rich vegetation.
On the left terrace of the Naryn River, there is a highway leading to the "Maly Naryn" and "Upper Naryn" zones. The area at the confluence of the Bolshoy and Maly Naryn at an altitude of about 2250 m is very attractive for tourism. Here, nature itself has created a peculiar green oasis with lush vegetation.
Above the city of Naryn, on the more humid northern slopes of the Naryn-Too ridge facing the river valley, at altitudes from 1800 to 3000 m, there are forests of noble Tien Shan fir. Above 3000 m in the high-altitude zone, shrubs and sparse forests of stunted Turkestan juniper prevail, especially common in this area of the Tien Shan. In Kashka-Suu and Baibiche, the fir forest resembles a true taiga. The climate of these areas approaches conditions found in Siberia. The forests are rich in berry shrubs—barberry, honeysuckle, currants, and rowan. There are springs with cold, tasty water.
East of Naryn, on the left bank of the Naryn River from its tributary Jargalash, begins the "Naryn" state reserve covering an area of 18,250 hectares, where the Schrenk spruce and the population of marals are protected. The beautiful maral is among the very valuable and nearly extinct animals of Kyrgyzstan. It is a very large animal, weighing up to 350 kg. Male marals are adorned with huge antlers. Encounters with them in the spruce mountain forests, which are their permanent habitat, have become extremely rare. Due to the immense value of their tasty and nutritious meat, hides, and especially antlers, they have been subjected to mass extermination for a long time. The territory of the reserve is cut by numerous gorges, along the bottoms of which flow the left tributaries of the Naryn River (Umet and others).
Next to the reserve on the same left bank of the Naryn is the Naryn zoological sanctuary covering an area of 59,600 hectares, designed to protect argalis, ibexes, roe deer, wild boars, bears, and marmots. Its territory includes sections of the botanical reserves Kainy and Iri-Suu, which support the natural growth of Tien Shan fir.
Since ancient times, humans have settled not only in the valleys but also in the more harsh high-altitude areas. This is evidenced by a well-preserved settlement of Stone Age humans (400,000 to 100,000 years ago), discovered on the picturesque left bank of the On-Archa River. The burial mounds of shepherd-farming tribes, who lived around 2000 years BC, are the burial mounds on the slopes of Naryn-Too, located southwest of the city of Naryn.
The "Naryn" zone includes the city of Naryn and its surroundings. Naryn, classified as a small city in the republic, originated as a military fortification in 1865 at the site of a settlement located on the trade route to Kashgar. Naryn did not experience intensive development; it only gained city rights in 1927. It is built up with small buildings. The city has several secondary specialized educational institutions, a drama theater, whose troupe is known far beyond the republic. A number of obelisks and monuments are dedicated to revolutionaries and fighters who fell in the struggle against the White Guards and Basmachi bands.
Industrial enterprises specialize in the production of building materials and the processing of local raw materials.
Within the zone, there are many attractions. On the ridge rising above the surroundings of Naryn, a very beautiful mountain Aala-Myshik ("spotted cat") stands out against the sky, named so because of the exceptional variety of the rocks that compose it and covered with green patches of Tien Shan fir.
Among the slopes of Aala-Myshik, facing the valley, lies a cave of the same name. It has a rather complex configuration of cavities, consisting of several small halls connected in a peculiar "apartment" about 45 m long. The halls are decorated with whimsical fragments of stalactites and stalagmites of various colors.
Fifteen kilometers east of the city is an incredibly beautiful recreation area for city dwellers—Salkyn-Tor ("cool place").
Silent witnesses of centuries-old history are the burial mounds of Kalmak-Debe (II-VII centuries), located south of the city of Naryn. Antiquity lovers are recommended to visit the well-preserved settlement of ancient humans—On-Archa—of the Lower Paleolithic era, located 30 km north of Naryn.