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| Vasily Zalokar |
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Project Coordinator of the Tourism Destination Marketing Project, implemented by HELVETAS, Swiss Association for International Cooperation, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. After spending two weeks around Kyrgyzstan at the
beginning of May, Claude and Marcelle were overwhelmed. They asked me,
"Why is this pearl of a country so little known?" |
| The Secret Mission of Issyk-Kul |
| Many
tourists, when visiting Issyk-Kul for the first time, admire the beauty
of the lake and wonder why they have never heard of this beautiful
place. Why is it that this natural phenomenon that inspires anyone who
sees it for the first time remains almost unknown to the world? ...read more |
| The history of Russian geographical names in today's Kyrgyzia |
| The
first Russian settlements on the territory of Kyrgyzia developed into
military bases such as Aksuyskoe, Narynskoe and Karakol'skoe.
Established between 1863 and 1873, they derived their names from the
nearby rivers Ak-Suu, Karakol, Naryn. But military affairs were not an
effective basis for economic development and consolidation of the
Cossack empire in the new territories. So a decision was taken to
resettle peasants from central provinces of Russia into the area. The
greatest number of migrants was from the Poltavskaya, Kurskaya,
Voronezhskaya, Khar'kovskaya, Kievskaya, Ekaterinoslavskaya and
Orlovskaya provinces of Russia. ... read more |
| Circumnavigating Issyk-Kul |
| An
old Hindu story tells of six blind men who meet an elephant for the
first time. Each of them encounters a different part of the elephant
and consequently each describes the elephant in very different terms.
The blind man who feels the squirming trunk of the animal believes the
elephant is like a snake, the man who grabs the long smooth tusk
believes it is more like a spear, the one who grabs its swinging tail
believes it is similar to a rope, and so on. Limited by their narrow
encounter with the elephant, none of the men is able to understand what
an elephant is really like. ...read more |
| The Kalpak |
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The Kalpak, properly called the "Ak Kalpak" (white
Kalpak), is a hat usually made from four panels of white felt with
traditional patterns stitched into them as decoration. It is worn by
males of all ages especially in rural Kyrgyzstan, and is a symbol of
the nation. (One writer has even written that "what the baseball cap is
to the Americans, the Kalpak is to the Kyrgyz".) |
| Older than Rome |
| Osh
is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, reputedly 3000 years old.
Archaeologists have found artefacts dating back to about the fifth
century BC. One claim that is often heard is that Osh is "older than
Rome". ...read more |
| Tash Rabat |
| Tash
Rabat is a carefully restored stone building that once housed an inn on
the Great Silk Road and is, according to one source, one of the best
preserved Silk Road sites to be found. "No other retains as much of its
original atmosphere". ...read more |
| Mineral water |
| Although
mineral water is often thought of as a drink, the Oxford English
Dictionary defines it more generally as 'water found in nature with
dissolved salts present'. Some salts, of course, do not make for a very
pleasant or refreshing drink. ...read more |
| The Uzgen Minaret |
| The
city of Uzgen is said to date back over 2000 years. It is claimed to
have been the site of a number of citadels built at various times since
the 1st century BC, and is sometimes identified with the town of Yu in
2nd century BC Chinese Chronicles. There are even claims that it was
the site of a camp for Alexander the Great's troops. ...read more |
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Yaks are large animals related to cattle and can reach up to two metres in height. As long ago as 3000 years ago, they were first
tamed by man. Domestic yaks tend to be smaller and quieter than wild
ones. They do not need special care and are able to survive on scanty
mountain vegetation. As well as being husbanded for their hair, milk
and meat, they are used as pack animals. |
| In
Kyrgyz art, pride of place is given to instrumental music. All
inhabitants of a nomad group - from children to the elderly gather
together to listen the master instrumentalists play. The most
fascinating festivals are those in which music competitions are held.
An instrumental ensemble was also an essential element of military
campaigns. ...read more |
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In antiquity the Kyrgyz people used to organize horse-racing dedicated
to great feasts marking the milestones of nomadic life the birth of a
child, marriage, ash (funeral feast), arrival of an important guest. ...read more |
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| The
Kyrgyz are an ancient people that have, for many centuries, preserved a
traditional, nomadic, pastoral lifestyle in the Tien Shan Mountains of
Central Asia. Although most Kyrgyz now live in towns and villages and
the number of nomadic shepherd families is not as great as it used to
be there is a strong interest in their traditional culture and crafts.
To many people this is usually interpreted as "felt work" but the
nomadic family, often living alone in isolated mountain pastures for
long periods of time, had to be masters of many different crafts. Kurak
or patchwork was one such craft. ...read more |
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Discovery Kyrgyzstan #4
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