🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

Hej! I share an extract of my experience of visiting majestic Kyrgyzstan. I was there in the summer of 2022. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and also does not cover all the wonderful local attributes and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: Bishkek, Cholpon-Ata, Karakol, Tosor, Barskoon, Jeti-Ögüz, Boz-Uchuk.

🏛 Top sights visited:

1. Bishkek
   • Ala-Too Square (Ала-тоо Аянты)
   • Victory Square (Жеңиш Чарчы)
   • Oak Park (Эмен Паркы)
   • Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theatre (Кыргыз Улуттук Опера жана Балет Театры)
   • Dordoy Bazaar (Дордой Базары)
2. Cholpon-ata
   • Ruh Ordo Cultural Center (Рух Ордо)
   • Museum of Petroglyphs (Петроглифтер Музейи)
   • Cholpon-ata Beaches (Чолпон-Ата Пляждары)
   • Grigoryevskoye Gorge (Чон-Ак-Суу)
3. Karakol
   • Holy Trinity Orthodox Church (Ыйык Троица Православ Чиркөөсү)
   • Dungan Mosque (Дунган Мечити)
4. Tosor
   • Skazka Canyon (Сказка Каньоны)
5. Barskoon
   • Barskoon Waterfall (Барскоон Шаркыратмасы)
6. Jeti-Ögüz
   • Jeti-Ögüz Rocks (Жети-Өгүз Аскалары)
7. Boz-Uchuk
   • Boz-Uchuk Gorge (Боз-Учук)

🎧 Local musicians:

• 🇰🇬 Mirbek Atabekov (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇰🇬 Anzhelika (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇰🇬 Ralliya (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇰🇬 Aizhamal Kabylova (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇰🇬 Aya Sadyrova (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇰🇬 Talant 60’k (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Vtoroi Ka (band). Genre: post punk

🥘 Local food & drinks:

• Laghman (Лагман)
• Kuurdak (Куурдак)
• Kymyz (Кымыз)
• Maksym Drink (Максым)
• Chalap Drink (Чалап)
• Aralash Drink (Аралаш)
• Issyk-Kul (Regional Special): Ash-Lyanfu Soup (Аш-Лянфу)

🎬 Local movies:

• Farewell (Шамчырак). Year: 2012. Genre: short / drama
• 51+ (51+). Year: 2020. Genre: short / drama

🪔 Authentic artifacts:

• The Epic of Manas (Манас Дастаны)
• Kyrgyz Yurts (Кыргыз боз Yйлөрү)
• The Komuz (Комуз)
• Authentic Garb: Ak-Kalpak and Beldemchi (Ак-Калпак менен Белдемчи)
• Issyk-Kul (Regional Special): Legends of Issyk-Kul & Cholpon-Ata (Ысык-Көл жана Чолпон-Ата Легендалары)
• Issyk-Kul (Regional Special): Petroglyphs of Issyk-Kul (Ысык-Көлдүн Петроглифтери)

🦉 Local wisdom: “The wolf cannot get enough of sheep, the ear cannot get enough of words, the mind cannot get enough of thoughts, the eye cannot get enough of seeing, the bird cannot get enough of flying” / “Бөрү — койго тойбойт, кулак — сөзгө тойбойт, көңүл — ойго тойбойт, көз — көргөнгө тойбойт, куш — учканга тойбойт” — Kyrgyz proverb

👨‍🎓The oldest university: The Kyrgyz National University (Жусуп Баласагын Атындагы Кыргыз Улуттук Университети), Bishkek, est. 1925.