Davan. In the Fergana Valley, a powerful state emerged in the 1st millennium BC. In Chinese sources, it was called Davan. Here is how scholars of that time described Fergana:
In the 2nd century BC, the Tian Shan Sakas were defeated by another powerful nomadic alliance — the Yuezhi (Tocharian), who were driven out of Eastern Turkestan by the warlike Huns. Subsequently, the Yuezhi subjugated part of the Tian Shan Sakas. Initially, the Usuns roamed near the Huns and Yuezhi at the western part of the Great Wall of China. Around 160 BC, part of the Usuns, having defeated the Sakas and Yuezhi, settled in Tian Shan and Semirechye. Occupying Semirechye, Dzhungaria, and
Central Asia and Tian Shan in the 6th—5th centuries BC In the first millennium BC, a new ethnic community—the Saka—emerged from a conglomerate of Bronze Age tribes. The transition from primitive society to class society was accompanied here by the development of a new mode of economy—nomadic animal husbandry and the formation of large tribal unions. In the 8th—1st centuries BC, nomadic tribes inhabited the vast expanses of Eurasia from Tuva to Ukraine (including its territory), referred to in
The traces of primitive human activity in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic date back to the Paleolithic era. There are not many monuments from this time. A stone tool was discovered by Oklandikov in 1953 in the Central Tien Shan, on the left bank of the On-Archa River. Its date of manufacture is approximately 300,000 years ago.
A new stage in the study of the history, population, economy, and nature of Kyrgyzstan began after its annexation to Russia. The imperial government needed reliable information about these "unknown" countries, their internal political and economic situation, natural and labor resources, and communication routes. Only in the second half of the 19th century did Russian scientific societies send 250 scientific expeditions to the Kyrgyz Republic.
The "Kek-Art" Zone encompasses the surroundings of the city of Jalal-Abad, as well as the valleys of the Kek-Art River and its tributaries from the foothills of the Fergana Range to its watershed. It is located 80 km northeast of Osh city along the highway leading to Jalal-Abad. The climate of the zone is characterized by dry and hot summers with slight temperature fluctuations.
The "Kyzyl-Unkyur" Zone is located 15 km northeast of the village of Arslanbap in the valley of the Kara-Unkyur River in the Jalal-Abad region. It is accessible via an asphalt road from the city of Osh. The zone occupies the territory of one of the most picturesque areas of these places — Kyzyl-Unkyur and also includes the ridge part of the Fergana Range.
Arslanbap Zone (Arslanbob) is located on the southwestern slopes of the Fergana Range in the eponymous area, stretching up to 10 kilometers and situated 180 km from the city of Osh in the Jalal-Abad region. The entire territory of the zone is intertwined with picturesque serpentine asphalt roads that run along the riverbed of the Kara-Unkur River from the city of Osh through the town of Bazar-Kurgan to the village of Arslanbap (1400 m) and further into the mountains.
The "Maili-Sai" Zone is located in close proximity to one of the major industrial centers of the Osh region in the Jalal-Abad region. The city of Maili-Sai includes the valley of the Mailuu-Suu River ("fat water"). This area is known for its oil deposits. The distance from the city of Osh to the zone is 170-180 km.
The "Kara-Suu" Zone is located in the eastern part of the southern slope of the Chatkal Ridge and occupies the valley of the river of the same name. In the lower reaches of the river, semi-deserts with sparse forests of pistachio and almond trees are widely represented. South of the city of Tash-Kumyr is the botanical reserve of Dzhiel-Tiibes, covering an area of 800 hectares, where a reference section of the southern semi-desert is protected. Below Tash-Kumyr is a Paleogene group of
Sary-Chelek Zone ("yellow bowl") territorially coincides with the basin of the Khoja-Ata River. The zone includes the territory of the Sary-Chelek State Biosphere Reserve, the village of Arkyt, which houses its office, as well as the "Sary-Chelek" tourist base of the Osh Regional Council for Tourism and Excursions. The upper part of the zone, including the southern tip of Lake Sary-Chelek, is composed of limestone and metamorphosed conglomerates and has a highly dissected
Aflatun Zone is located on the southeastern slopes of the Chatkal Ridge and occupies the basin of the Aflatun River — the largest right tributary of the Kara-Suu River in the Jalal-Abad region. The distance from the city of Osh to the zone is about 320 km along the highway leading to the village of Aflatun.
The "Padsha-Ata" zone includes the gorge of the same name and is located near the district center of Karavan, 350 km from the city of Osh. Along the gorge, a dirt road runs along the right bank of the river to the village of Karabashat. At the end of the road lies the mazar of the "saint" Padsha-Ata. In a stretch of about 500 meters along the riverbed, there is a dense grove of ancient birches, the trunks of which reach two circumferences in diameter.
Ala-Archa Zone is located 30 km south of Bishkek in the central part of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range in a picturesque gorge of the same name, which is over 35 km long. This gorge is the largest of all the gorges in the Kyrgyz range. On its territory lies the Ala-Archa National Park.
Alamedin Zone is located 25 km from Bishkek in the valley of the same name and the surrounding area.
Issyk-Ata Zone is located 80 km from Bishkek and includes two gorges — Issyk-Ata and Tuyuk Issyk-Ata with tributaries. This zone is distinguished not only by its favorable climatic conditions but also by its magnificent balneological resources. Based on more than fifty thermal springs, the famous Issyk-Ata resort operates in the middle part of the gorge of the same name. The springs have been known since ancient times, as evidenced by the image of the healing Buddha carved on Asal.
Kegety Zone is located 75 km from Bishkek in the gorge of the same name on the road to the village of Ivanovka and further to the Kegety gorge. The Kegety River has many tributaries, the largest of which is the right tributary Keltor, forming a very beautiful independent area. It is interesting to note that the Keltor River flows underground through the moraines and only bursts forth with a roar into the open in the forest zone. At the beginning of the gorge, the slopes are covered with
Chon-Kemin Zone includes the valleys of the Chon-Kemin and Kichi-Kemin rivers between the high ridges of Zailiysky and Kungey Ala-Too. It is located 150 km east of Frunze city on the road to Novorossiysk village.
It is precisely about this region that famous travelers such as Semenov-Tian-Shansky, Mushketov, Severtsev, Przhevalsky, Fedchenko, and many others wrote with great admiration and inspiration. This is the highest mountainous zone of Kyrgyzstan: almost the entire territory of the Inner Tian Shan is located above the mark of 1500 meters above sea level. Here, so many bright attractions are concentrated that one can see them only by traveling to different corners of the globe.
A city by this name was founded in 1877 by Russian and Ukrainian settlers in the central part of the Talas Valley on the left bank of the Talas River. Initially, it was a village called Dmitrievka. The development of the city, which today has more than 30,000 residents, noticeably accelerated due to the establishment of food and light industry enterprises here. One of the city's attractions is a large forest park, adjacent to its quarters from the north, sprawling across numerous branches
The Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve is referred to as a realm of magical beauty, located on the southern slopes of the Chatkal Range, in the basin of the Khoja-Ata River in the Jalal-Abad region. The territory of the reserve stretches from the foothill steppes to the snow-capped peaks. Towering mountain ranges and blooming valleys, sheer weathered cliffs and turbulent rivers, deciduous and coniferous forests, snowy summits and blue lakes, high grass meadows and impenetrable thickets — all of this
This was once the name of the village of Gulistan, located fifteen kilometers from the village of Ala-Buka — the center of the Ala-Buka district in the Osh region. In the IX-X centuries, an urban settlement emerged here, which became a developed medieval city in the XI-XII centuries. Today, there are not many ancient structures to see, but the mausoleum of Shah-Fazil, built at the turn of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, has been preserved. Built on a rock, this mausoleum is unique in its
This tourist area is located 220 kilometers from the city of Issyk-Kul on the eastern part of the coast. You can reach it by bus from both the northern and southern shores of the lake — the journey is approximately the same. The city of Karakol is connected to the capital of the republic by air transport. In addition to the city, the area also includes the port of Przhevalsk, located at the mouth of the Karakol River, which flows into the Jergalan Bay.
If you drive eighty kilometers along the northern shore of the lake from the city of Balakchy, you will reach the resort capital — the city of Cholpon-Ata. The town itself is small and quite deserted in winter, but in summer it can accommodate a huge number of vacationers.
On the western shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, at the junction of the roads Bishkek — Naryn and Bishkek — Karakol, at the end of the railway line from the capital of Kyrgyzstan lies the highest mountain port city — Balakchy, which was known as Rybachye until 1989. The city owes its origin to the establishment of postal communication between Pishpek and Karakol in the second half of the last century. In 1871, a postal station named Kutemaldy was established here, consisting of two adobe huts for the
This ancient city of Kyrgyzstan was founded by the Turks in the 8th-9th centuries in the center of an oasis along the caravan route from Maverannahr to Eastern Turkestan on the right bank of the mountain river Kara-Darya. The ancient Uzgen was a powerful fortress with gates from which roads led to China, Samarkand, Kashgar, and in all directions of the Fergana Valley. Even at that time, the city had many brick buildings, an extensive network of water supply systems, canals, and reservoirs.
Recent studies have shown that the city with this name is not about two thousand years old, as was believed until recently, but much older — three thousand. Osh is a contemporary of Rome. This fact alone speaks volumes about the interest this city holds for tourists.
The longest gorge, bearing the same name, is located just 30 km from the city. Immediately behind the Voronцовка recreation center are three gorges: Alameddin, from which a small river flows, Malinovoe, overgrown with dense raspberry bushes, and the largest one — Ala-Archa. The word "Ala" translates to "snowy," and "archa" is analogous to "juniper." Indeed, there are glaciers in the gorge that only melt during the scorching summer. The slopes of the
The capital of Kyrgyzstan sprawls in the central part of the Chui Valley at the northern foothills of the Kyrgyz Range, at an altitude of 750–900 meters above sea level. The city emerged in the second half of the 19th century near the Pishpek fortress and initially bore its name. In 1897, the population was only 6,600 residents. Only a few wooden and brick buildings were located in the center, while pre-revolutionary Pishpek resembled a dusty village with adobe houses. The city's
Do you remember the business people from O. Henry's stories? No, not the adventurous plot where a child is kidnapped for ransom, but another one about how real business is done. Enterprising individuals, discovering that the islanders walk barefoot, immediately decided: business can be made by selling shoes. And they began to sell them, putting everything on the line in the full sense of the word: livestock was slaughtered, leather was tanned, shoes were sewn, and a ship loaded with shoes
It is profitable, of course, profitable. But why does such a lucrative sector not yield the expected results? Is nothing being done? Not at all... There is a constant restructuring of management.
There are grounds for such a statement. Everyone knows how profitable, for example, the automotive industry is. But let's take France. In this country, tourism has far surpassed not only the automotive industry in terms of income but also many other modern sectors of material production and services. In general, it is hard to name a developed country where tourism does not occupy a leading position in the economy and does not contribute significantly to national income. It is also no
On a hot summer day on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, one can observe a strange sight. Adults, seemingly respectable, walk covered in mud. Their legs and arms are especially abundantly coated in clay. Some even manage to smear their bellies. Others—what a wonder!—completely bury themselves, leaving only their heads above the fine sandy shore of the lake.
A man-made wonder — fantasy and fiction? Yes. But also reality! This is how the art of ancient nomads is described, characterized as mythological in content and realistic in form. Among all forms of art, decorative and applied art is endowed with these traits to the greatest extent.
In the material culture of any ethnic group, there is a distinctive cuisine. It is no coincidence that experienced ethnographers and scholars recommend starting any study of unfamiliar lifestyles with the typical meals—both everyday and festive.
Would you like to watch a competition of horsemen called "ulak tartysh" — "goat pulling"? Or participate in the New Year celebration... on March 22 during the Nowruz holiday? Tourists traveling in Kyrgyzstan have such an opportunity. They can not only familiarize themselves with natural attractions, historical monuments, art, architecture, and modern economic objects, but also learn about the specifics of the material and spiritual culture of the Kyrgyz people, delve into
More than 80 species of mammals, over 330 species of birds, about fifty species of fish, including 12 commercial species, and around 30 species of reptiles and amphibians—this is the diversity of Kyrgyz fauna. Each altitude zone and natural landscape typically has its own inhabitants, but there are also cosmopolitan species that can be found both on low plains and in high mountain areas.
In translation from Kyrgyz, "jailoo" means summer pasture. What else do you think this word signifies? Abundance. And this is not accidental. The wealth and beauty of alpine meadows cannot be called anything else.
Let’s open the reference books on medicinal plants. St. John's wort, mint, thyme, valerian, motherwort, hawthorn, rosehip, coltsfoot, oregano, plantain, juniper, birch, cornflower, chamomile... This entire list is generously represented in Kyrgyzstan.
Much larger areas than deserts and semi-deserts are occupied by steppes in Kyrgyzstan, which are classified based on altitude above sea level into low-mountain (1000—1600 meters), mid-mountain (1600—2500), and high-mountain (up to 3500 meters). In terms of vegetation composition, they are divided into grass-like and savanna-like.
The very word seems to suggest: empty, hence the desert. In Kyrgyz, it is approximately: чёль (chol). Moreover, this term is used not only for deserts but also for steppes, plains, that is, everything that is not mountains — тоо (too), and not lakes — кёль (köl).
Who hasn’t heard of juniper? Or cedar? Or cypress? Evergreens — in the literal sense of the word: eternal, not metaphorical — possessing a "balsamic" scent, particularly noticeable since ancient times. According to scientists, they have been known since the Cretaceous period, meaning they are over one hundred million (!) years old, at least in the case of cedar. The branches of these plants line the path of the deceased — as a symbol of death and its overcoming, as a symbol of the
A lonely tree does not make a forest. At least, this is what a Kyrgyz folk proverb says. And indeed, it is true. The forests in Kyrgyzstan are unusual — primarily mountainous. Among the ancient Turks, the forest served as an object of worship. And since the forest grows on mountains, the ridge covered with trees is personified: it receives its "own" name. On such a hill, in ancient times, all members of the clan community would gather, where sacrifices were made to Jer-Suu — the main
In Roman mythology, Flora was chosen as the goddess of flowering ears of grain, flowers, and gardens. Tatius erected an altar to her. During the festival of Flora, blooming ears of grain were brought to her altar. For some reason, the festival was forgotten. Perhaps it was because the games in honor of Flora were accompanied by cheerful debauchery, involving the common people and women of loose morals. The very name of the goddess became a term denoting the totality of all types of plants of a
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
To err is human, says an ancient Latin proverb. But it is human to err in the process of cognition. And knowledge is the very cause of consciousness. Regardless of what is said about humanity, the thirst for knowledge is one of the most human traits. Chronologically, it is also true. Thus, as long as humanity has existed, so have travels. The thirst for "journeys into the unknown" is truly a passion. It is no coincidence that curiosity has been humorously termed "the lust of the
In recent years, the concept of natural heritage has increasingly entered analytical research and the practice of natural resource management. The term "natural heritage" became widely used in scientific discourse in the early 1970s, in contrast to the term "cultural heritage," which appeared several decades earlier. This was related to the preparation and adoption of the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972. In