The city of Karakol. Karakol is the 4th most populous city in Kyrgyzstan and the administrative center of the Issyk-Kul region. It is located near the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul, about 150 km from the Kyrgyz-Chinese border, 380 km from the capital Bishkek and at an altitude of 1690-1850 meters above sea level. The area of Karakol is 52.53 km2. The population at the beginning of 2023 is 81,952 people. On the EM-09 highway in the north is Tup, and in the southwest is the Jeti-Oguz resort. The city is located in the eastern part of Issyk-Kul district, at the foot of the Terskey-Ala-Too ridge, downstream of the Karakol River, 12 km from the shore of Issyk-Kul Lake and at an altitude of 1690-1850 meters above sea level. The distance to Bishkek is 400 km, the nearest railway station Balykchi is 220 km by road and 184 km by water.
The city of Karakol attracts trekkers, travelers and climbers with its picturesque mountain landscapes. From Karakol to the west along the southern coast of Issyk-Kul, at a distance of 30 km are the resorts of Jety-Oguz (“7 bulls”) and Zhyluu-Suu (“warm water”). In the east, 10 km from the hotel, there is the climatic Balneoglazov resort of Dzhergalan, and on the spur of the Tien Shan, 50 km away, there is the glacial lake Merzbacher. We follow from him to the small “Khan-Tengri”. Among the majestic coniferous forests, in the Karakol gorge on the Terskey-Ala-Too ridge, 7 km from the city, there is a ski base “Karakol” with 5 (4 chairlifts) (altitude difference from 2300 to 3450 meters). In Soviet times, it was used to train Olympic teams. From the panoramic peak at an altitude of 3040 m above sea level, where the lift rises, Mount Isik-kul and the lake are the nearest 5000 m (the highest peak of the ridge is Karakol peak – 5281 m and the pointed peak “Dzhigit” – 5173 m). The climate of the city is moderately continental, with mountain and sea elements. The average annual precipitation is 350-450 mm . From 1922 to 1939, the city was again called Karakol. By the 100th anniversary of the birth of Przhevalsky, the name Przhevalsk was returned to the city. After Kyrgyzstan gained independence, it was renamed Karakol again (1992).
Attractions
Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
The wooden city church was built in 1895 on the brick foundation of the old temple, destroyed by the earthquake of 1889. In 1995 it was returned to the ownership of the Orthodox community
City Museum of Local Lore
It shows the nature of the Issyk-Kul region, as well as the history, culture and ethnology of local peoples since the Bronze Age.
Karakol Zoo Bugu-Ene was founded in 1987. This is the only zoo in Kyrgyzstan.
Dungan Mosque in the form of a Buddhist pagoda
The central mosque of the Issyk-Kul was built on the initiative of Dungan Ibrahim Aji, who invited architect Chou Seu and 20 carvers with the skills of traditional Chinese architecture from Beijing to build the mosque. Local craftsmen participated in the construction of outbuildings and other works. The construction of the mosque began in 1904 and was completed in 1910. The use of traditional techniques allowed the builders to build a mosque without nails. The mosque accommodates 42 pillars, and the multi-tiered wooden cornice surrounding the building is decorated with images of plants such as grapes, pomegranates, pears and peaches.
Surroundings of Karakol
The Museum of N. M. Przhevalsky was opened on April 29, 1957, 10 kilometers from the city of Karakol, in the village of Pryan-Przhevalsk.
Hot natural springs “Altyn-Arashan” are located in the Arashan gorge, 10 km from Karakol, near the village of Ak-Suu. Nearby, a 30-minute drive from Karakol, there is a ski base “Karakol” with five lifts.
The Barskoon Valley is a state—protected area in the Jeti-Oguz district, 90 km southwest of Karakol. On one of the tributaries of the Barskoon River there are two waterfalls: on the top of the mountain and on the slope of the mountain.
The canyon “Fairy Tale” was named because of its bizarre rocky landscape, which for many millennia has been transformed by the wind into figurative sculptures and formations. The canyon is very similar in appearance to the canyons in Texas. USA.
The salt Lake, which appears in tourist booklets as the “Dead Lake of Kyrgyzstan”.
In the vicinity of Karakol, archaeologists have explored the ancient settlement of Chon-Koysu, dated to the XIV and XV centuries
Kayaking on the Bay of Prezhevalsky
