Sights of southern coast of Lake Issyk Kul.

"Love will teach you your native language.
You will never get bored with your native language.
My mother taught me from infancy
To love and understand your native language"

Alykul Osmonov. "Native language".

Travel on southern coast of Lake Issyk Kul.

Seven rocks in gorge in Dzhety-Oguz.

The picturesque Jety-Oguz gorge, shrouded in legends, is closely connected with the nature and folklore of the local residents, with their traditions and customs. This is one of the most beautiful mountain gorges in Kyrgyzstan, located just 28 kilometers southwest of Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk) on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul.
The gorge is located along the Jety-Oguz River on the northern slope of the Terskey Ala-Too ridge, which surrounds the lake from the south. The name "Jety-Oguz" ("Seven Bulls" in Kyrgyz) comes from the red sandstone cliffs resembling lying bulls, which are one of the natural attractions.
Among tourists, the "Broken Heart" cliff is especially popular, which also attracts numerous visitors. At an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level in the Jety-Oguz gorge, there is a resort famous for its healing thermal springs. In this gorge, you can see unique red cliffs that from afar resemble seven lying bulls. The origin of these cliffs is shrouded in legends.
"One of them tells of a rich man who lived long ago, who had seven sons. Over the years, the old man decided to divide his large fortune between his sons. However, during the division, seven calves disappeared. Despite a long search, they could not be found, and the old man soon died, leaving his sons separated.
After some time, the calves were found, having become adult bulls, and greed awakened in each of the brothers - each sought to take possession of the animals. The dispute between the brothers escalated into a deadly battle. To prevent bloodshed, the old wise sorcerer turned the bulls into huge red rocks, which can still be seen today near the southern shore of Issyk-Kul.
These rocks are called Jety-Oguz - "Seven Bulls."
"In these places once lived a mighty khan, who before his death left a covenant to his seven sons to fairly divide his property among themselves. The brothers followed his will, but, counting the herds, they discovered a loss - seven calves were gone.
Over the years, the calves grew into majestic bulls, whose horns seemed to touch the sky itself. When the bulls were found, greed took possession of the sons' hearts: each of them wanted to take possession of all the bulls, forgetting about their father's instructions and ready to fight even against their own.
Seeing the inevitable tragedy, the wise old wizard, deciding to stop the bloodshed, turned the bulls into huge blood-red rocks, which to this day stand along the river, and at their foot hot springs flow. This is how the gorge got its name - Jety-Oguz, which in Kyrgyz means "seven bulls".

Authority:
http://www.kyrgyzstantravel.net

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.