This will be an article about a small resort town in Kyrgyzstan. It is located on the coast (northern) of the beautiful Issyk-Kul Lake and 240 kilometers from the state capital Bishkek. 135 kilometers from the resort place is the regional center - the city of Karakol.
The settlement, which will be described below, is called the city of Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyzstan). We promise - it will be interesting.
Geographical location of the city, population
Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyzstan) is located at an altitude of about 1500-1800 meters above sea level in a beautiful foothill loop (Kungei Ala-Too ridge). This place is the central part of the resort zone of the same name, which includes two gorges Cholpon-Ata and Chon-Koi-Suu, as well as the village of Dolinka.
On the coast of Issyk-Kul, this is the largest settlement, although it is not very large in size, and the population is only 11 thousand people. Both Russians and Kyrgyz live here in equal numbers, approximately 43% each. In administrative terms, Cholpon-Ata belongs to the Issyk-Kul region.
During the holiday season, the city is able to comfortably accommodate up to 30 thousand tourists.
A bit of history
In Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyzstan), especially turbulent historical events were not observed. In ancient times, here (on the Great Silk Road) there was an ordinary settlement, the city arose only after the arrival of Russians here. Until 1922, there were only 15 yards and a herd of Oryuktinsky stud farm on this site. In 1926, everything changed, one of the energetic commissars of the army of L. Budyonny was sent here. Rappoport, who became the director of the stud farm. With his arrival, life in the city spun. After 5 years, the stud farm contained 10 thousand horses.
In 1938, a tuberculosis sanatorium for children began to function here, and since 1945 it was transformed into a children's health dispensary, and its name was Cholpon-Ata. This moment was the beginning of the birth of the city as an all-Union health resort.
About the origin of the name
The name of the city received in an incomprehensible way. “Cholpon” is translated as Venus (star), and “Ata” means “father”. However, according to one of the local legends, Cholpon-Ata is the patron saint of heavenly sheep. And moreover, here the sheep are unclear. Although there is one suggestion that this is due to the milky way, clearly visible from these places and resembling a heavenly flock that stretched along the road along the way to the house.
In the literal translation, the name of the town means "father of the stars."
Resort Features
In Kyrgyzstan, a holiday in Cholpon Ata is magnificent. The low cost of resort services attracts tourists here, although it is quite “European”.
The famous lake has excellent comfortable beaches with good coastal service, which includes many services, including boat, yacht and catamaran rental.
In the lake, the water is crystal clear, the sandy beaches are golden and the climate is excellent, in no way inferior to many coasts of the seas. The resort center has beautiful holiday homes, pensions, motels and hospitals, whose doors are open for children and adults. Its healing power is known for a variety of hot mineral natural springs, mud silt and hydrogen sulfide, as well as colored clay.
Climatic conditions
Like almost all of Kyrgyzstan, the city of Cholpon-Ata in summer has moderately warm climatic conditions (without the sweltering heat characteristic of the country's flat areas), and winters are not snowy and mild. The beginning of the holiday season is June, and the end is the last days of September. The water of the coastal strip is heated to + 22 ° C, and the temperature of the sand of the beach reaches + 50 ° C. Almost all days are sunny.
The biggest plus of rest in Cholpon-Ata is the cleanest air filled with ozone and oxygen, drunk with aromas of flowering herbs and coniferous forests.
sights
What else might interest Cholpon-Ata vacationers in Kyrgyzstan?
The local hippodrome can often attract the attention of tourists, where horse racing and various equestrian competitions are often held. The remarkable center of culture “Ruh Ordo Tashkent-Ata”, organized in 2007 by parliamentary deputy Tashkent Kereksizov and named in his honor, deserves attention. On this territory you can see five symbolic chapels of world religions, personifying Christianity, Islam, Catholicism, Judaism and Buddhism. It should be noted that the Orthodox part was built at the expense of the four Yeltsins, and it was dedicated to Naina Yeltsin. Also on the territory of the complex are sculptures of many artists and scientists, exhibition halls and galleries.
North of the city you can stroll through the Stone Garden. On an area of 42 ha, the remains of sculptures and monumental structures of prehistoric age are collected. Most of the exhibits are petroglyphs (cave paintings), whose approximate age is from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century. AD There are suggestions that this place was a single temple of the Gentiles, where they worshiped their gods.
In addition, the surroundings of this amazing city in Kyrgyzstan are full of necropolises, ancient ruins of ancient settlements and mysterious sculptures. At the bottom of Issyk-Kul Bay are the ruins of ancient cities, which can be inspected if desired, by renting diving equipment.
