1.The Church of the Holy Trinity
is an Orthodox church, is one of the main attractions of Karakol, built in the XIX century by the Russian community of the city. The church was built in 1869, when the city of Karakol was founded, and the first Russian settlers built a small church on this site. However, the church stood for a relatively short time and collapsed during the earthquake of 1876. In 1895, architects from the city of Verniy (now Alma-Ata) began construction of a new church and designed the current building. The roof of the church is covered with five domes, and the walls are made of wooden logs, decorated with sculptures and various paintings. The fate of the church in Soviet times was rather gloomy. After the October Revolution, as part of the fight against religion, the church was closed and subsequently converted into a children’s sports school. In 1986, it was decided to restore the church and create a local museum in it.
2.Dungan Mosque
Along with the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Dungan Mosque is one of the most interesting sights of Karakol. The Dungan Mosque is a rather unusual structure associated with the numerous Dungan diaspora in Karakol, whose age exceeds 100 years. In 1877, a civil war broke out in China between Chinese Muslims and supporters of the traditional Chinese religion. Chinese Muslims were subjected to all kinds of harassment, and more than 300 thousand. People were forced to flee through the Tien Shan Mountains to Kyrgyzstan, where many of them settled, including in Karakol. These Chinese Muslims were called Dungans and continue to be called to this day.
3.Grigoriev Gorge
is a long and beautiful gorge located on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, near the village of Grigorievka. The gorge is famous for its forested slopes and three lakes. Grigoriev Gorge is very popular among tourists, as is the neighboring Semenov Gorge due to its easy access and beauty. The gorge is located on the Kyungey Ala-To ridge and has a very interesting topography. Narrow areas suddenly turn into wide valleys and vice versa. A wild river flows through the gorge and forms three small lakes in the swampy area. The slopes of the Grigorievsky Gorge are unusually forested, and the woodland starts at the bottom.
4.The Altyn-Arashan Gorge
(translated as “Golden Spring”) is a high-altitude gorge in the eastern part of the Terskey-Ala-Too mountain range, located near the city of Karakol. The gorge is one of the most popular tourist sites in Kyrgyzstan due to its unique nature, hot springs in the immediate vicinity of the gorge, extensive spruce forests and stunning views. In Soviet times, the territory of the gorge was recognized as a specially protected natural area due to the high natural diversity of the gorge. In 1963, the gorge was declared a nature reserve and remains one of the few places where dense forests of Tianshan spruce have been preserved. The Altyn Arashan hot springs are also widely known.
5.Jeti-Oguz Gorge
(Jeti-Oguz) is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Issyk-Kul region. It is located 30 km from the city of Karakol and attracts many domestic and foreign tourists. Jeti-Oguz means “seven bulls” in Kyrgyz. It got such a special name thanks to the red clay rocks, which are the hallmark of the gorge. It is unusual for the Tien Shan Mountains that the rocks have a very bright color. Jeti-Oguz is also known as a balneological resort with radon and hydrogen sulfide springs. The resort is located at an altitude of 2,200 m and is designed for a simultaneous stay of 250 people. These sources are used for the treatment of neurological, musculoskeletal and skin diseases.
6.Semenov Gorge
(also called Chon aksuu) is one of the most famous straits on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. It is located on the Kyungey Ala-Too ridge and is 30 km long. Behind the gorge is a small lake, called the Holy Lake for its purity and clarity. The upper part of the gorge merges with the Grigoryev Gorge. The pass was named after the famous traveler Semenov Tian Shansky, who explored the region in the mid-19th century. The area is popular with tourists as there are few easily accessible and beautiful gorges on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. At the beginning of the gorge there is a dense spruce forest. In addition to fir trees, there are barberry, horse chestnut, dog-tooth violet and currant bushes in the canyon.
7.Canyon Skazka
(Fairytale) is a small canyon on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul, famous for its red clay rocks. The canyon is located near the village of Tosor, about 120 km from Fisher. Fairytale Canyon is a very popular place for tourists. This is due to the canyon’s accessibility and stunning scenery. Over thousands of years, soil erosion has created the beautiful contrasts of the Fairytale Canyon. The canyon offers a variety of strange forms made of stone and clay. Made of colorful clays, minerals and rocks, these shapes add to the natural beauty of the area. Some of the natural sculptures in the canyon have names. The best known is the ‘Chinese Wall’, reminiscent of famous Chinese structures.
8.The Barskoon Gorge
is one of the most beautiful gorges on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, famous for its high waterfalls and dense spruce forests. The gorge was famously visited by Yuri Gagarin, the first man to fly into space. The Barskaun Gorge is about 30 km long. It runs deep into the Tersky Ala- Too mountains, reaching the plateau (Shilta) Arabel, which is separated from the gorge by a stepped gorge. The height of the gorges in the Barskoon Gorge is very high, reaching 4,000 meters. Barskoon, both for its natural beauty and the Barskoon waterfalls: Tears of the Leopard, the Manas Bowl.
9.The Petroglyphs Museum in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan
In Cholpon-Ata, on an area of 42 hectares, there is a popular open-air museum “Rock Garden”. The museum presents prehistoric monuments. Among them are stone monuments, tombstones, boundary stone walls and petroglyphs dating from 2000 BC and IV century AD – IV century AD. Each stone has a plaque indicating the time of its manufacture and the purpose for which it was made. You can visit the Rock Garden along several routes indicated by arrows. The Museum of Cholpon-Ata Petroglyphs is a monument of rock carvings of various epochs and cultures, of which there are quite a lot in Kyrgyzstan.
10.Lake Ala-kul (also Ala-Kol and Ala-Kel)
is a large alpine lake of glacial origin, located on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, near the city of Karakol, in the eastern part of the Terskey Ala-Too mountain range. It is located in a vast hollow between the Karakol and Altyn-Arashan gorges and has no exit. The name of the lake in Kyrgyz means “multicolored lake”, which corresponds to its location. The bright turquoise waters of the lake contrast with snow, which does not melt even in summer, green grass and mountain flowers of all shades. The lake is located at a very high altitude – 3500 m above sea level. Of all the high-altitude lakes of Kyrgyzstan, Ala-Kul is perhaps the most beloved by tourists because of its beauty and size.
