SOME OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST
Ak Beshim : Chui : Situated on the eastern edge
of Tokmok — near to the Bus Station, Ak Beshim
was once one of the most important trade and cultural centers in the
Chui valley, inhabited by the Turks and Sogdians. Archaeologists
date the origin of the town to the 5th and 6th Centuries. It was,
in fact. Referred to by the Buddhist monk, Tripitaka (602—644),
in his account of his travels. It later came under Arab
influence and faded into history in the period between the 10th and
12th centuries. Today all that remains are eroded ridges and grass covered
mounds — although Archaelogists have conducted several excavations
and revealed much about the thriving city.
There were paved and pebbled streets, water pipes made from tiles, Buddhist
temples a church and a fortress.
Ak Suu : Chui : Ak Suu is one of the
valleys in the Kyrgyz Krebet. Traveling from Bishkek —
this narrow canyon is best approached by turning towards the
mountains after Belovodskov and passing through the village of Kyzyl
Dyykan. Here can be seen one of the first orthodox churches
to be built in Central Asia. The road follows the stream
bed deep into the mountains — and it is said that
this is very good fishing country.
Alamedin : Chui : The Alamedin valley is one
of the most striking features of the Kyrgyz Krebet, just South
of Bishkek. The village of Koi Tash, 30 km from Bishkek,
is the confluence of four roads : one from the capital; another
which climbs to the West over the ridge, past Golubini Waterfall
(Pigeon'sor Dove Waterfall) to Kashka Suu in the
Ala Archa valley; a third to the East towards Issyk Ata, and
the fourth leading upto the main Alamedin valley. The canyon narrows and
the stream, one of the main rivers flowing through Bishkek, cascades
down to the Chui plain.
Ten kilometers further on is the Tyoplie Klyuchi Sanatoria.
At a height of 1800 meters asl there is a bathouse
with naturally, radon, heated water — (Take the advice of the
doctors and restrict swimming in the pool to no more than
about 10 minutes.) — and a complex of cottages
further up the road, which was opened in 1984 by the
then Ministry of Power.
Beyond the complex the vista opens out into a beautiful alpine valley —
ideal for a day trip out from the city — and there is a trekking
route over the mountains. There are waterfalls, glades with berries, mushrooms,
juniper and birch forests and views of glaciers and the Usechenko
peak (4650m), as well as a number of other canyons
to the East.
There is a Community Based project in the Alamedin valley
which can offer accommodation and other services.
Alchaluu : Chui : In this village at the foot of the
mountains, South West of Kemin, are some ancient burial mounds.
Alexandrovka : Chui : To the West of Bishkek, are a number
of burial mounds scattered about the farmland. These are the last
resting places for a some of the nobility of the ancient
Sak and Usun tribes that settled in the Chui valley between the 7th
century BC and the 3rd century AD.
Ashpara : Chui : South of Kaindi, archaeologists have discovered
the remains of an ancient settlement dating from between the
6tn and the 12th Century.
Bel Saz jailoo : Chui : The Bel Saz jailoo lies in the Kegeti
valley and can be the base for various treks and horseriding.
Chon Aryk : Chui : A small village, South of Bishkek.
On the road from Bishkek can be seen some barrows, (burial mounds)
dating.
Chon Tash : Chui : A short distance outside
Bishkek is Chon Tash — now a popular tourist resort
for people from the city. 1991 saw the televised excavation of a mass
grave of some of the victims of Stalinist repression. Diggers
discovered a 4×4 × 4 chamber, 40 cm below
ground, containing some 137 (or 138 according to some
sources) skeletons, some complete with personal effects/papers —
It is thought that the entire Supreme Soviet Central Committee
of the Republic of 1937 — plus a few other important
individuals including Torokul Aitmatov (father of the Kyrgyz author
Chinghiz Aitmatov) were murdered here by the KGB over two nights.
The bodies have since been moved 100m to the «Ata Beyit»
cemetery («The cemetery of the fathers»). Chinghiz Aitmatov
paid for the transfer. The discovery was made because, although the KGB
swore the caretaker to secrecy, he told his daughter on his
deathbed in the 1980s. After independence she came forward to tell
the story.
Golubini Waterfall : Chui : (=«Dove Waterfall» or «Pigeon»s Waterfall«.)
- Approached from the village of Tatyr in the Alamedin valley
- In the Sokoluk valley near to Tash Bulak
Holodnaya Voda : Chui : Just before it enters Boom Gorge
on the way from Bishkek to IssykKul, the road passes a collection
of roadside yurts, kiosks and a few newly built buildings. The
local equivalent of a «motorway café» —
the yurts offer a variety of refreshments — especially
the local standard menu items : shashlik, manti, laghman and so on; the
kiosks sell chocolates, cola, bottlesd water and there are newly built
permanent cafes and toilets («eastern» style). The name means
«Cold Water» — there is a freshwater spring
with a statue of a deer adorning it.
Issyk Ata : Chui : Sevety seven kilometers from Bishkek, nestled
at a height of 1775 meters a. s. l. in the Issyk
Ata valley which cuts into the Kyrgyz Range which runs south of the
city. The slopes of the mountains have numerous alpine meadows and
in the vicinity of the resort are fruit and decorative trees.
The waters have attracted visitors for many centuries and this used to be a place
of pilgrimage and in the nineteenth century villagers expressed
their gratitude for the healing properties of the water by smearing
onto a large rock which has an inscription on the Buddha
on it which dates from the tenth century. The Tibetan inscription
is on the face of a boulder with an eagle sculpture
on top. Unfortunately, contemporary, modern, graffiti now joins it. Nearby,
it is said, was the home of an Uzbek shamaness, famous
for her healing powers, who led a hermit's life here until
the 1950»s, after her husband and son were both killed as Basmachi
rebels. Turkic nomads worshipped the springs and early Russian colonists
used to take the cure here — when the only accommodation
was local yurts.
The Soviets built the first permanent building here as early as 1928.
The upper reaches of the valley are covered in rich vegetation
and are home to herds of horses.
Kaindy : Chui : One of the valleys in the Kyrgyz Krebet.
The town of Kaindy sits across the main road from Bishkek to Tashkent,
and was important for a Sugar factory. High in the mountains
above the town was an early gold mine. The road climbs gently into
the mountains and though the valley housed a pioneer camp, the valley
is rarely visited by foreigners.
South of Kaindi lies the site of Ashpara — an ancient
settlement dating from the 6th to 12th centuries. To the south
lie some Royal Barrows — burial mounds dating from the 6th century
BC to the 3rd century BC.
Kant : Chui : The town of Kant lies 30 kilometers
to the East of Bishkek. It is sometimes thought that
the town was named after the philosopher Immanual Kant — especially
as there used to be alarge number of ethnic Germans
living in the area (for example in the neighbouring village
of Luxembourg) — but this is a mistake. The word
is Kyrgyz for «cube sugar» and the town owes its name
to the presence of a large sugar factory. The town is also
home to Kyrgyzstan'slargest cement factory.
There is a statue of Lenin and a monument to theose
who fell in the Civil War.
Nearby are Krasnaya Rechka; the Chui river with some good spots for fishing;
and a water reservior which is favourite spot for swimming amongst
the locals.
To the East of Bishkek, on the road to Kant, lies
the site of Pakap — an ancient settlement
dating from the 6th to 12th centuries.
Kaptal Aryk : Chui : The village of Kaptal
Aryk lies about 75 km east of Bishkek, on the
road to Talas. It is home to a museum
dedicated to the Kyrgyz poet Alykul Osmonov, (1915—1950),
who appears on the 200 som note. He was born
in the village and wrote in both Kyrgyz and Russian
and translated many poems, stories, legends and fairy tales
fromKyrgyz into Russian. He was very fond of Lake
Issyk Kul and lived in Chalpon Ata — many of his
works describe the lake in it’ s different
seasons and moods. He was revered in the Soviet
time as an important Soviet writer. He died
at the age of 35 of Pulmonary Pneumonia.
There is a statue of him outside the National
Library in Bishkek. The museum was built to commemorate
what would have been his 75th birthday.
Kara Balta : Chui : Kara Balta means «Black Axe» in Kyrgyz.
The town, 60 kilometers to the West of Bishkek, at the
junction of two main roads : The main Bishkek-Taraz (Djambul)-Tashkent
road and Kyrgyzstan'smain North-South highway, the Bishkek-Osh
road which climbs through the gorge of the Kara Balta river to pass
over the Tuu Ashu pass into the Suusamyr plain.
In Soviet times it was a closed city because the uraniumand
other metals thatare found in large deposits in the neighbourhood
were mined for military purposes. Because of this it took on a prosperous
economy with well developed infrastructure, pretty buildings, tree lined
streets and a generally Russified feel. The part of the town
which was «closed» is called Pochtoviy.
There is a park with plenty of trees and the inevitable
statue of V. I. Lenin.
Kara Balta is also the name of one of Kyrgyzstan's bestselling
brands of Vodka. Not surprising, because the town is home
to the Bakai factory which produces many different types
of foodstuffs, but most notably — Vodka.
In the plain leading upto the foothills, south of the road
between Kara Balta and Bishkek are Barrows (burial mounds), some dating
from the 5th to the 2nd century BC. There is also the site
of Karan Zhuvan — an ancient settlement dating from
between the 6th and 12th centuries.
Karakol : Chui : Not to be confused with it's more
famous namesake in Issyk Kul. The Karakol river flos along a canyon
on the Southern edge of the Kyrgyz Krebet into the Suusamyr
plain, and the village at the easternmost extreme of the plain
is named after the river.
Karan-Zhuvan : Chui : Between Kara Balta and Sokoluk, archaeologists
have discovered the remains of an ancient settlement dating
from between the 6th and the 12th century.
Kashka Suu : Chui : Kashka Suu is a village on the
road from Bishkek to Ala Archa. It is better known amongst
locals for the nearby dachas and the Recreation center and ski resort
located in the foothills above the village. Even in the summer,
when there is no snow, the locals like to come here for
the refreshingly cool air (to escape the heat of the city) and
as a pleasant place for walking.
Kegeti : Chui : Ninety kilometers East of Bishkek
lies the Kegeti valley with steep forested slopes. The map shows a road
passing over the mountains towards Kochkor — but it is not
really passable — the road is blocked by landslides
and even in the height of summer it is almost impossible
on horseback. A two or day three trek takes you up the
Kel-Tor gorge, a side valley, to the Kel-Tor lake (Dead Lake)
with it's turquoise water and numerous beautiful waterfalls.
From the valley you can visit the Bel Saz jailoo, the Sharkeratma waterfall,
Kushkonok forest, Kisl Beles forest, Chaunde Gorom viewpoint and Kara
Unkur (Crying cave). It is also possible to make a trip
into the neighbouring Tuyuk valley and Karagai Bulak.
The village of Kegeti lies at the mouth of the gorge although
the road into the valley leaves the main road at Ivanovka and travels
through Ak-Sai, Rotfront and Leskhos. A Community Based Tourism project
can provide accommodation and services at the Bel Saz jailoo. Horses
can be available to take you to some of the places
mentioned.
Kekemeren : Chui : The Kekemeren River runs through a narrow
valley South from Suusamyr plain, past the village of Aral (in Naryn
oblast — 1400 m. a. s. l.), until eventually it flows
into the Naryn River. Popular for white-water rafting, at first the
river is relatively calm, but gradually, more and more obstacles
appear making it a much more demanding course. Fishing is also
a popular activity on the river from Spring, through summerand
into Autumn.
Kemin : Chui : A regional administrative center which used
to be called Bestrovka — and some older locals still
call it that.
There is a statue of Shabidan Baitir, a 19th century
chieftain of the Sary Bagysh tribe who ruled the region and is highly
regarded as a national hero — and a monument
to those who died in the Civil War.
Kojumkol : Chui : Named after a giant
of a man, (he was 2.3 meters tall), who
died in 1955. The village has a small museum where
you can see photographs of him, some of his clothes
and you can see huge stones which he is reputed
to have lifted onto his shoulders. A little out
of town you can another weighing almost 700kg which he is supposed
to have lifted and placed on the grave of a local
official. He is also reputed to have carried a horse for over
100 meters.
The Sports Palace in Bishkek (on Togolok Moldo) is also
named in his honour.
Kok Moinok : Chui : Between the Issyk Ata and Kegeti gorges
are tucked away two small gorges — Tuyuk and Kok Moinok, connected
by the Kok Moinokpass (2911m). Nestled under the «Sugar Head»
peak sits lies the Kok Moinok lake.
Krasnaya Rechka : Chui : About eight kilometers East of Kantlies
the village of Krasnaya Rechka (=«Red River»). This is the
site of the ancient town of Nevkat (=«NewCity»),
a Silk Road city that flourished between the 6th and 12th centuries.
All that remains today are irregular mounds and a couple of eroded
clay walls of the ancient fortifications, but archaeologists have
found artifacts showing that Buddists, Nestorians and Manichaenists all
thrived here.
«For those who are ableto sightsee without seeing standing buildings,»
writes Daniel Prior in The Bishkek Handbook, «Krasnaya Rechka —
prettier in setting and more conducive to contemplation than
the the history-factory at Burana — offers a subtle
vista on the past.. From the summit of the citadel, where the
ground underfoot is thickly strewn with pieces of thousand-year-old
pottery, on a clear day, you can see almost to Ch»ang
An and Byzantium.«
Kultor : Chui : In the Tuyuk valley — a waterfall
and mountain lake.
Kyzyl Oi : Chui : «Red Bowl» in Kyrgyz —
the village is located at 1800 meters asl, 40 kilometers
South of Suusamyr on the main road to Kochkor and Son Kul.
The road travels through the narrow gorge of the Koko Meren river
and into a wide bowl surrounded by red coloured mountains. The
local clay soil was used was used to build houses which give the
village a distinctive style and character.
The mountains surrounding the village offer potential for hiking and
horse trekking; the river for rafting. The jailoo of Chet
Tor, about five km from the village has a number
of springs and a family offers accommodation in their
yurt. This can be a base for further exploration
to Kol-Tor gorge and it? s glacial lake. The Choin Tash
jailoo, which is a gentle 40 minute horse ride
from the village, leads on to the Munkur pass to a glacier
feeding three mountain lakes.
A Community Based Tourism project is based in the
village and supported byu the British Department for International
Development can offer accommodation, guides and other services.
They have a number of suggested hikes : up the
Charvalley and over the Kumbel Pass; to the waterfall
on the Burundi river; to Peak Yr Gailuu (2664m.);
to Peak Chichkhan Choku (3989m.); to Peak Sary Kamysh
(4042m.) via the Chockutur pass.
Kyzyl Suu : Chui : The village of KyzylSuu is nestled
under the Kyrgyz Krebet, some35 km east of Tokmok. The
Kurandy jailoo is surrounded by slopes covered in coniferforests
and alpine meadows.
Nusket : Chui : To the East of Kara Balta, archaelogists
have discovered the remains of an ancient settlement, dating
from between the 6th and the 12th century.
Pakap : Chui : To the East of Bishkek, archaeologists
have discovered the remains of an ancient settlement dating
from the 6th to the 12th century.
Sak-Usan Kurgans : Chui : Located in the village of Alexandrovka,
West of Bishkek, there are a number of burial mounds scattered
about the farmland. These are the last resting places for a some
of the nobility of the ancient Sak and Usun tribes that settled
in the Chui valley between the 7th century BC and the 3rd century
AD.
Saryg : Chui : On the South West outskirts of Bishkek —
arachaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient settlement
dating from the 5th to the 12th century.
Shabdan : Chui : A village in the Chno Kemin valley.
Nearby are some ancient barrows (burial mounds) dating from the 4th and
3rd century BC.
Shamsy : Chui : The Shamsy gorge is considered by some
people to be the most beautiful of the canyons in the
Kyrgyz Krebet. The golden mask of the ancient beauty, Queen Shamsy,
was found nearby. Twelve kilometers into the valley is the junction
of the Shamsy and Tuyuk rivers. (Not to be confused with
the Tuyuk river of Kok Moinok). The wooded slopes and high mountain
plateaus are home to a wide range of fauna and flora.
In summer it is possible to cross the mountains and
head towards Kochkor.
There is a Community Based Project based here which can offer
accommodation and services.
Shopokov : Chui : A small town on the road between Bishkek
and Tashkent — named after a hero of the Soviet Union
who fell as one of the 28 Panfilov heroes, killed defending
a small village outside Moscow against invading German tanks in 1941.
Sokoluk : Chui : In the Sokoluk Valley to the West of Bishkek
lies the village of Tash Bulak («Stone Spring»). It sits
astride the Sokoluk river which flows through alpine meadows and woodland
with many varieties of wildlife. The village is still known
to many locals by it's Soviet name Belagorka, and
it was the site of a very successful collective farm. Nowadays
the village is not as prosperous but is still quite attractive
with decorated houses. It can serve as the starting point for
several walks. Nearby is the Pigeon»s waterfall —
not to be confused by it's more famous namesake
in the Alamedin valley — which plummets over the steep
cliffs. There is a trail over the mountains to the Kochkor-Suusamyr
road which used to be used to drive sheep over the mountains,
but it hasn»t been used in recent years and is generally
impassable now.
There is a route between the Sokuluk gorge and Ala Archa over
the Ozernyi pass (3900m).
Suyab : Chui : Near the mouth of the Chon Kemin valley —
archaeologists have discovered the remains of the ancient settlement
of Suyab, dating from the 6th to the 11th century.
Tash Bulak : Chui : Tash Bulak («Stone Spring») is a village
sitting astride the Sokoluk river which flows through alpine meadows and
woodland with many varieties of wildlife. The village is still
known to many locals by it's Soviet name Belagorka,
and it was the site of a very successful collective farm.
Nowadays the village is not as prosperous but is still
quite attractive with decorated houses. It can serve as the
starting point for several walks. Nearby is the Pigeon»s waterfall —
not to be confused by it's more famous namesake
in the Alamedin valley — which plummets over the steep
cliffs. There is a trail over the mountains to the Kochkor-Suusamyr
road which used to be used to drive sheep over the mountains,
but it hasn»t been used in recent years and is generally
impassable now.
There is a route between the Sokuluk gorge and Ala Archa over
the Ozernyi pass (3900m).
Tegirmenty : Chui : A village at the head of the
Chon Kemin valley — thereare some ancient barrows (burial mounds)
nearby.
Tuu Ashuu : Chui : The Tuu Ashu Canyon is best known because
the pass (actually Ashu means «pass» in Kyrgyz) at the
top is the highest point on the Bishkek-Osh road at 3586m —
and the gorge from the town of Kara Balta is well worth the
journey in itself with steep walls and spectacular views. At the
top, the old road can be seen climbing over the very summit of the
pass, but there is now a tunnel burrowing through the mountain,
(apparently built by the same construction team responsible for the
Leningrad and Moscow metros) . Emerging out of the tunnel on the
other side of the pass is a splendidvista of the Suusamir
plain.
Tuyuk : Chui :
- Between the Issyk Ata and Kegeti gorges are tucked away two small
gorges — Tuyuk and Kok Moinok, connected by the Kok Moinokpass
(2911m). Nestled under the «Sugar Head» peak sits lies the
Kok Moinok lake.
- Twelve kilometers into the Shamsy valley is the junction of the
Shamsy and Tuyuk rivers. (Not to be confused with the Tuyuk
river of Kok
Volchji Vorota : Chui : ( = «Wolf»s Gate«).
In the Alamedin valley — 40 km from the center
of Bishkek.
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