What to See in Naryn (Kyrgyzstan)

According to Smarter Computing, Naryn is located at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level, on the banks of the Naryn River, at the intersection of the Bishkek-Torugart highway. The city of Naryn is a regional and regional cultural and administrative center, here is the Naryn State University, the local history museum and the musical drama and national theater “Manas Ruhu”.

The Tash-Rabat complex is a historical and cultural zone that includes two ancient monuments: the Tash-Rabat caravanserai and the Koshoy-Korgon settlement. Caravanserai Tash-Rabat is one of the rare well-preserved monuments of the Middle Ages. It is located at an altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level in the picturesque Kara-Koyun gorge, 60 km from the village of At-Bashi and 90 km from the city of Naryn. Tash-Rabat was built in the 15th century on the ancient trade route from Central Asia to China and was an inn for merchants, ambassadors, travelers and other wanderers. This is the largest building of Central Asian architecture of that era, built of stone. It differs not only in its size, building material, but also in its peculiar layout based on clear symmetry. Lost among the pristine nature, far from the settlements, the caravanserai looks harsh, monumental and impregnable from the outside.

Settlement Koshoy-Korgon located 12 km from the village of At-Bashi. It represents the remains of a fortified city that existed in the 7th-10th centuries on the caravan trade route, in which the headquarters of the Turkic khans was located. On dozens of hectares there is a stone gallery with tens of thousands of black-and-white rock paintings in the upper reaches of the Saimaluu-Tash tract, dating from the period of the 2nd millennium BC – 8th century AD. The gallery is located 30 km south of the village of Kazarman. The variety of plots of the drawings is striking: images of animals and people, hunting scenes, ritual signs, episodes of labor and military activity. On the outskirts of the village of Kazarman, the ruins of the settlement, reminiscent of the city of the 10th-12th centuries, have been preserved. Monuments of the era of Sakas and Usuns are represented by scattered mounds 3-5 meters high, inside of which there are burial grounds.

Lake Son-Kul – the largest freshwater and second largest body of water in Kyrgyzstan. It is located within the inner Tien Shan at an altitude of 3016 m above sea level, 90 km northwest of the regional center Naryn. In summer, the water temperature rises to 11-12 o C, from November to May the water surface is ice-bound. The valley of Lake Son-Kul has been chosen by the Kirghiz since ancient times, they bring herds here to summer pastures, a large number of burial mounds have been found here. In summer, different species of ducks, gulls and other waterfowl nest here. The coast of the lake is home to many species of predators (snow leopard, red wolf, fox). In July, a festival is held on the alpine lake Son-Kul, the program of which includes equestrian competitions and the preparation of dishes of national cuisine.

Violent, swift, unrestrainedly rushing through the mountain gorges, the largest river in the country – Naryn , 600 km long. This is a complex and interesting river suitable for extreme water rafting. The main water obstacles of the highest, 6th category of difficulty on it are the Ak-Shyirak gorge and the Kambarata canyon. Most people prefer to look at these places from the shore.

The third largest lake in Kyrgyzstan Chatyr-Kol (width 11 km, length 23 km, depth 19 m) is located on the western outskirts of the Ak-Sai valley between the At-Bashi and Torugart-Too ridges at 3520 m above sea level. The surroundings of the lake are a habitat for many species of animals: red marmots, mountain goats, snow leopards. The south-east coast of the lake is a favorite nesting place for Indian mountain geese, listed in the “Red Book” and a variety of ducks. Naryn and Karatal-Zhapyryk state reserves are located on the Naryn River.

Naryn (Kyrgyzstan)