Issyk-Kul excursion tours.

"Will the time ever come when governments will no longer be surprised by people's desire to travel only to study nations, and not to conquer or use them?"

Academician Karl Maksimovich Baer.

Season: all year round.
Duration of excursion: 4 - 5 hours.
Pre-order: 48 hours in advance.

Karakol (translated from Kyrgyz - "black hand"), is the administrative center of the Issyk-Kul region. In the autumn of 1869, the garrison from the Aksuu fortification, which served as the center of administration of the Issyk-Kul district, was transferred to the Karakol River.
Thus, a new fortification was founded, which received the name of the river on which it is located. The fortification was founded as a military and administrative center on the caravan road from the Chui Valley to Kashgaria by Staff Captain Baron Kaulbars.
The city changed its name several times: until 1889 it was called Karakol, then it was renamed by decree of the Tsar to the city of Przhevalsk, in honor of the famous Russian traveler N. M. Przhevalsky, who died on his way to his 5th journey in 1888 in Karakol.
According to his wishes, he was buried on the shore of Issyk-Kul. In 1922, the city was given back its former name. And in 1939, in connection with the centenary of the birth of N. M. Przhevalsky, the city was again called Przhevalsk. The name remained until 1992, then the city was given back its historical name.
Among the cities of pre-revolutionary Kyrgyzstan, Karakol was a city of relatively high culture. From here, participants in numerous expeditions to Central Asia departed, they were famous scientists and travelers. The city developed as a trade and administrative center of the entire Issyk-Kul region.
The population of the city of Karakol is 84,351 (2021) people. The city is truly a center of cultural mixing, representatives of 30 ethnic groups live here, mainly: Kyrgyz, Russians, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Tatars, Dungans, Kazakhs, Ukrainians and others.
City tour in Karakol, visit:
Historical and local history museum, the building is a unique exhibit, a typical example merchant's mansion, in the XIXth century it belonged to the merchant M.N. Ilyin, a famous cattle breeder, and was built in 1889.
Orthodox Holy Trinity Church. With the organization of an independent Turkestan diocese in 1869, a felt field church was transferred from the village of Teploklyuchenka to the new county town. Until 1876, the so-called koshemnaya church, made of felt and boards, served in Karakol, donated by the military from Teploklyuchenka.
Dungan mosque, built in 1910. Architect and builder Zhou-Si. 30 people took part in the construction of the mosque, including 10 wood carvers and roofing masters. Built in the traditions of Dungan architecture with slightly curved roofs, it is a one-story building with 42 pillars encircling the walls, arranged in two rows.
Visiting city recreation park in Karakol.
The city recreation park owes its birth to a unique person of the late 19th century, Nikolai Mikhailovich Barsov (1857 - 1904). Doctor and public figure. After graduating from the medical faculty of Moscow University, he served from 1880, was the senior doctor of the Karakol (Przhevalsk) military hospital. N.M. Barsov worked as a doctor for 21 years.
Together with doctor Kryzhanovsky, he saved the terminally ill N.M. Przhevalsky. With the introduction of self-government in 1894, he was the first elected headman of the city of Przhevalsk. Contributed to the study of the region. Promoted the development of health care, school affairs in the district, as well as the improvement of the district center.
Visit to Przhevalsky memorial complex, which is located 12 kilometers northwest of city of Karakol near village of Pristan Przhevalsk:
- N.M. Przhevalsky's grave (1888),
- N.M. Przhevalsky's monument (1894),
- N.M. Przhevalsky's local history museum (1957),
- Orthodox chapel (1996),
- Kuseyn Karasayev's grave (1998),
- Kuseyn Karasayev's monument (2002),
- Kuseyn Karasayev's museum (2013).
City tour Karakol: introduction to the wooden architecture of the city, antique shop, local bazaar, souvenir kiosks, parks and monuments of the city. Architectural heritage of the city and monuments of Russian and classical architecture: building of the girls' gymnasium (XIXth century), house of the merchant Babkin (XIXth century), house of the merchant Zakhar Breusov with preserved internal elements, history of the first headman of Karakol N.M. Barsov who founded an agricultural school and a garden, which is still in use, house of the merchant Fatih Sulaimanov, house of the merchant Karimov.

Note:
Author program of Alexander Petrov. Copying and introduction from the sanction of the author.

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.