Trip to canyon "Skazka" on Lake Issyk Kul.

"We went along the Terskey Valley {The northern shore of Issyk-Kul is called Kungey, facing the sun, since its slope is at midday, and the southern one is Terskey, turned away, i.e. from the sun, since the slope is to the north. Accordingly, the ridge on the northern shore is Kungey-Ala-tau, and on the southern one is Terskey-Ala-tau.}, which is, in fact, not a valley, but a low ledge tapering to the west, between the southern shore of Issyk-Kul and the accompanying Terskey-Ala-tau ridge, a watershed between the tributaries of Issyk-Kul and Naryn."

"Travel to the Turkestan region and exploration of the mountainous country of Tien Shan." N. Severtsov. 1873.

Excursions in canyon "Skazka" at settlement of Tamga.

Valley and canyons "Skazka" are located at an altitude of 1695 to 1805 meters above sea level, is located on northern slope of Terskey Ala-Too ridge, 2 kilometers south of Lake Issyk-Kul, 2.2 kilometers southeast of Lake Kara-Kul, 7.2 kilometers west and slightly south of village of Tossor, 94 kilometers southwest of town of Karakol, in Ton district of Issyk-Kul region. 
The canyon "Skazka" stretches from west to east for 2.6 kilometers, the greatest width of the canyon in the western part is 1 kilometer, in the eastern 770 meters. The area of ​​the valley and canyon is 1.84 square kilometers, the perimeter reaches 6.61 kilometers.
The characteristic red-brown Neogene vein stretches from west to east for a distance of 2.3 kilometers. On the southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, among the rocky mountains, there are picturesque canyons, considered one of the most beautiful places in the region.
The unique contours of the relief, which gave the canyon its name, were formed thanks to the red Neogene rocks, transformed under the influence of wind, water and sun into bizarre landscapes. Clay-sand structures of the canyons are subject to constant changes due to erosion caused by wind and water, which makes the relief forms dynamic.
These natural sculptures were formed under the influence of weathering, denudation and tectonic movements.
Legend of valley and canyon "Skazka" on southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul.
A local legend is associated with the canyon "Skazka". They say that in ancient times, there were cities in the Issyk-Kul valley, one of which was the home of a beautiful girl. Her beauty attracted a red dragon, who fell in love with her. However, the girl rejected him.
Enraged by the refusal, the dragon decided to flood the entire valley. At night, he tried to use magic to draw water from wells, but the inhabitants blocked his way, closing the wells with golden lids. However, one day the girl forgot to cover her well. The dragon took advantage of this, flooded the valley and formed a lake.
Enchanted by its beauty, he fell asleep on the southern shore and turned into stone cliffs. This is how, according to legend, the "Skazka" Canyon appeared. 
History of “Skazka” Canyon and Valley on southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul.
One of such amazing places is a picturesque canyon located in the channel of rain streams flowing down to Issyk-Kul from the foothills of Terskey Ala-Too, between the villages of Kadjisay and Tamga. From the side of the highway running along the shore of the lake, the canyon looks unremarkable, and you can get there only in dry weather.
A mixture of fine-grained clay and sand turns into an impassable mass for vehicles when wet. rom the soft soil of the canyon, painted in various shades, hard limestone and sandstone plates protrude, reminiscent of the ruins of ancient fortresses or the remains of prehistoric creatures.
This place, as a natural wonder and tourist attraction, became known outside of Kyrgyzstan relatively recently. The canyon "Skazka" was especially famous due to Ivan Rodionov, a Russian taxi driver from Kadjisay, whom many locals and tourists know as "Uncle Vanya".
He once heard children's stories about the colorful rocks nearby and went in search of them in his free time. That's how he discovered this unique place. The history of the village of Kadjisay goes back to 1947, when, by order of Lavrentiy Beria, exploration of uranium deposits began here for the needs of the Soviet atomic program.
However, the mine turned out to be unpromising due to the low content of radioactive elements, and by the early 1960s, mining was stopped. The village, where mainly Russians lived, later began to service coal mines and an experimental electrical engineering production, which closed in 1995.
At the same time, a resort area was developing on the coast, where boarding houses and sanatoriums, popular since the Soviet era, still exist. After the closure of the enterprises, the remaining residents switched to tourism. However, the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, despite its unique nature, is inferior to the northern one in popularity due to poor infrastructure development and lack of investment.
"Skazka" Canyon was the local guides' response to the challenges of the time. They were looking for picturesque corners to attract tourists to their land. The soft rocks of the canyon, due to their pliability, are constantly changing under the influence of rain, wind and sun.
Every morning, afternoon and evening the landscape is Every morning, afternoon and evening the landscape appears in a new light, playing with shades and shadows. These changes create the impression that the canyon really comes alive, turning observation of it into an exciting journey. 
Geographic coordinates of valley and canyon "Skazka": N42°09'23 E77°21'14

Authority: 
11.05.2008 ferghana.ru,
https://teskei-geopark.com/ru/about/geology/dolina-skazka

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.