Issyk-Kul

At an altitude of 1,609 m above sea level, Issyk-Kul is lapping at the bottom of a deep depression between the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan. The pride of Kyrgyzstan and one of the most mysterious lakes in the world is very similar in shape to the human eye, which always leads to delight and awe of astronauts who see it in person.

Encircled by mountains, Issyk-Kul has no outflow, and there is still no consensus on how it appeared and why it got its name.

According to legend, a long time ago there was a beautiful city in what is now Issyk-Kul. People lived in it serenely and happily, until a terrible thing happened: the earth began to shake with such force that it began to crack all over, and in one of them the city and all its inhabitants disappeared. And in place of the city, a lake immediately appeared, which young girls came across in search of their home.

Only two days there were no girls in the city, but when they returned, they did not find the narrow streets, yellow houses and flowers under the windows. The girls cried for days and nights, pouring their tears into this lake. Then the water in the lake became salty, then the water in the lake became bitter – there was so much pain in it, so much sadness. And now the lake is called "hot" because it roars and tears every now and then – like those girls who brought him their bitter grief.

But legends are legends, and in 2006, the remains of an ancient civilization that existed about 2.5 thousand years ago were actually discovered at the bottom of the lake! The lake, which, apparently, later appeared on this site, was first mentioned in Chinese chronicles. These documents date back to the 2nd century BC, and in them the lake is called the Same-Hai, which means "warm sea". And the name Issyk-Kul ("hot lake") has been found only since the 10th century, and in ancient manuscripts it is adjacent to the name Tuz-Kul, that is, "salt lake".

Issyk-Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan:

The length is approximately 182 km.
The maximum width is 58 km, the average is about 30 km.
The surface area is about 6236 km2.
The coastline is 688 km long.
The volume of water is 1738 km3.
The maximum depth of the lake reaches 668 m.
The average depth is about 278 m.
The height above sea level is 1,609 m.

Issyk-Kul is the second largest salt lake in the world after the Caspian Sea and the second most transparent lake in the world after Lake Baikal. But what makes it truly unique is the amazing combination of sea and mountain climates. In winter, the air temperature does not drop below -5 ° (this is partly why the lake never freezes, another reason is the salt content in the water). In summer, the average temperature is 16-17 ° C, but sometimes it reaches 33 ° C. At the same time, it doesn't get too stuffy or too hot here, thanks to the cool air from the mountain peaks and the sea breeze.

The nature of Issyk-Kul is amazing. In the coastal territories, steppes give way to alpine meadows, plains turn into deserts, mountain peaks are covered with spruce forests, and next to all this are areas of permafrost.

In the past, Issyk-Kul was also famous for the fact that rare fish species were found here: Issyk-Kul marinka, Osman, chebak. According to one version, these times have sunk into oblivion due to the proliferation of predators. Trout from the Armenian Lake Sevan were released here twice in the 30s of the last century, and since then it has been doing well here. There are specimens weighing two dozen kilograms, while trout rarely reach 6 kg in their native Sevan. However, it is also said that the reason for the almost complete disappearance of chebak in Issyk-Kul is more trivial – poachers should be blamed for everything.

Issyk-Kul is invariably associated with the names of great generals and untold treasures that are supposedly hidden at the bottom of the lake.

So, according to legend, Genghis Khan himself rests at the bottom of Issyk-Kul, along with mountains of gold and precious stones. It is said that Chagatai, the son of Genghis Khan, took the body of the great ruler to these parts, put it in a strong coffin made of mountain arch and lowered it along with the gold to the bottom of the lake. Chagatai ordered all those who saw this to cut off their heads and build a mound from these heads on the shore of the lake. At that time, a funeral ceremony was held in Ordos in Mongolia to distract the eyes, and therefore Genghis Khan's treasures have not yet been found.

Today, nothing threatens the uniqueness of Issyk-Kul: there is no large-scale production that could disrupt the ecosystem of the lake. And although the main flow of tourists in Kyrgyzstan falls on this region, it practically does not affect the state of the water.