UNESCO List of Kyrgyzstan
SARY CHELEK LAKE
Sary Chelek lake is located 500 km from Bishkek and 300 km from Osh, in the territory of the Sary Chelek State Biosphere Reserve. The lake lies on the boundary of At-Oinok and Chatkal ranges, at an altitude of 1940 meters. The lake covers an area of 507 hectares, has a length of 7.5 km, and a depth of 234 meters. It is the second and third deepest lake in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia, respectively. The coastline is covered with dense forests and rocky places in some areas. Sary Chelek is fed by several mountain rivers. The water temperature in summer does not exceed 19 °C and in winter ranges from 0 °C to 4 °C. Sary Chelek in Kyrgyz means ‘yellow barrel.’ According to legend, there was once an old beekeeper who, one spring, decided to place hives on the shores of an unusually beautiful lake. When the time for harvest had come, the beekeeper was so mesmerized by the golden color of honey, he named the lake Yellow Barrels referring to the barrels full of honey on the shore. Additionally, there is also another explanation to the name of the lake. As autumn rolls around, the golden color of the trees on the coastline reflected in the water form a fabulous whole golden landscape. The Sary Chelek State Biosphere Reserve (area 23,8 ha) is included in UNESCO’s international network of nature reserves. It was established to preserve the flora and fauna of the walnut forests and alpine landscapes.
BURANA TOWER
Being once a minaret of a mosque, Burana Tower is located near Tokmok in the territory of Balasagun, which was a medieval capital (9th – 14th centuries) of Karakhanid Khanate and home to famous medieval poet Yusuf Balasaguni, author of the poem Kudatgu Bilig (Beneficial Knowledge). The tower was built in the first half of the 11th century. With time, the mosque got completely destroyed, and the minaret was partially ruined by an earthquake in the 15th century. Today, the tower stands at about 25 meters, although it was originally 45 meters tall. An open-air archaeological and architectural museum was created at the basis of the legendary Balasagun.
SULAIMAN TOO
The Sulaiman Too mountain is located in the center of Osh city. It is the first UNESCO World Heritage Site listed from Kyrgyzstan. Some historical and theological works, written sources, and ancient manuscripts mention that 366 of the 124 thousand prophets sent down by God in human history had visited this mountain. The mountain has has been considered a sacred place as evidenced by the paintings in the caves on the slopes of the mountain. Sulaiman Too is a historical and architectural complex at the top and on the slopes of the mountain, where many historical monuments of different eras – such as caves with ancient petroglyphs, the Takht-i Suleiman Mosque, Ravat Abdulla Mosque, the Asaf ibn Burhiya Mausoleum, and the historical museum with a rich collection of archaeological, ethnographic, and zoological exhibits – can be found. Almost every one of these places is a unique ritual object, surrounded by a veil of mystery and legend.
