Welcome to Bishkek, the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan, near the border with Kazakhstan. The city has had three names: it began as the fortress of Pishpek, founded by the Khanate of Kokand in 1825, was renamed Frunze in 1926 after the Bolshevik commander born here, and became Bishkek in 1991. It lies at about 800 metres, just off the northern edge of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range, an extension of the Tian Shan, with mountains rising to 4,895 metres. Bishkek is a city of wide boulevards, marble-faced public buildings and Soviet-style apartment blocks. Let us head out into its squares, bazaar and mountains.
Ala-Too Square
Photo: t_y_l · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThis is Ala-Too Square, the central square of Bishkek. It was built in 1984, when a massive statue of Lenin stood at its centre, and it was called Lenin Square until independence in 1991. The statues here tell the story of the country: Lenin was moved away in 2003 and replaced by a statue called Erkindik, meaning Freedom, which in turn gave way in 2011 to the epic hero Manas. On 24 March 2005, the square saw the largest protest of the Tulip Revolution, which forced the country's first president to flee.
Osh Bazaar
Photo: Ekrem Canli · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsDive into the bustle of Osh Bazaar, one of the largest bazaars in Bishkek, on the west side of the city. Created in 1983, it sells food, household goods, clothes, souvenirs and even musical instruments. Head for the national goods section, called Kyyal, meaning fantasy or dream. Here you can order traditional Kyrgyz clothing made to measure, and browse carved wooden chests, traditional bedding and cradles.
Ala-Archa Nature Park
Photo: The original uploader was Garthwillis at English Wikipedia . · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsAbout 35 kilometres south of the capital, the Ala-Archa Nature Park opens into the alpine world of the Tian Shan. Established in 1976, it climbs from about 1,500 metres at the entrance to 4,895 metres at Semenov-Tian-Shansky Peak, with more than 20 glaciers and some 50 peaks. The park is named after its river, and archa is the Kyrgyz word for juniper. In folklore, smoke from burning juniper chases away evil spirits, yet it should not be planted too close to home, as it is believed to slowly drain people's energy.
Burana Tower
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsRising from the Chüy Valley, about 80 kilometres east of Bishkek, is the Burana Tower, a large minaret built in the 11th century. Together with grave markers, earthworks and the remains of a castle and three mausoleums, it is all that is left of the ancient city of Balasagun. The tower was once 45 metres tall, but earthquakes took their toll, and a great quake in the 15th century destroyed its top half, leaving it at 25 metres. You can still climb to the top by a steep, winding stairway inside.
Panfilov Park
Photo: t_y_l · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsTake a stroll through Panfilov Park, near Old Square in the heart of Bishkek. It was founded in 1924 as Zvezda Park, meaning star, and it was indeed laid out in the shape of a star. In 1942 it was renamed after Ivan Panfilov, a Hero of the Soviet Union. The monument to him here, opened in 1944, was the first in the USSR dedicated to his service.
Victory Square
Photo: Post of Kyrgyzstan · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsVictory Square is dedicated to the victory over Nazi Germany, and was created in 1985 for the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. At its centre stands a moving statue of a woman waiting for her husband to return home from the war. Above her, three ribs of red granite form the crown of a yurt, shaped like a funeral wreath. Nearby burns an eternal flame, watched over by a guard of honour that changes every hour.
Lomakuume
