Issyk-Kul mountain lake. Issyk-Kul mountain lake Issyk-Kul lake salty or fresh

Author - Oksana_Lyutova. This is a quote from this post

Mountain Lake Issyk-Kul

The most beautiful and the most big lake Central Asia - Lake Issyk-Kul. It is located between the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan: Kungey Ala-Too (facing the sun) and Terskey Ala-Too (facing away from the sun) at an altitude of 1609 m above sea level. Issyk-Kul is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world.

The lake is incredibly beautiful. For this reason, it is called the "Pearl of Kyrgyzstan". Great transparency and bright sun change the color of the Issyk-Kul Lake water from pale blue to dark blue tones. In winter, the water temperature is + 4.2-5.0 °.

There are many legends and myths about the origin of Lake Issyk-Kul. Here are the three most common legends.

In July and August, the upper layers of water are heated up to + 18-20 °. Even in the coldest winters, the lake does not freeze. Magnificent views snow-capped peaks open from north coast lakes. Eighty rivers and streams flow into the lake, but the lake has no runoff, so the water in the lake is salty.

There are beliefs about cities buried under the waters of Issyk-Kul. The mountains around the lake are practically unexplored.


The basin of the lake, surrounded on all sides by powerful mountain ranges, remained for a long time an inaccessible region of Kyrgyzstan. Now you can get here by the road passing through the famous Boom Gorge; there are also 2 airports on the territory of the basin: Cholpon-Ata, located near resort town, and international Airport Tamchy, which was built and opened in the summer of 2003 on the basis of a military airport.

Here are some figures about this unique place, attracting an increasing number of tourists: the volume of all water is 1738 km2, the area of ​​the water surface is 6236 km2, the length coastline- 688 km, the average depth is 278 m, the maximum depth is almost 2.5 times greater and equals 668 m, the length of Issyk-Kul from West to East is 182 km, and from South to North - 58 km. Over the past two centuries, the level of Issyk-Kul has been decreasing and, as a result, both the depth and the length of the coastline are decreasing. According to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, since 1886, he fell by 4 m, according to other sources, by 9 m.

In terms of depth and volume of water, it has no equal in the world among high-mountainous lakes. Issyk-Kul is rightfully the second largest alpine lake after Lake Titicaca located in Chile.

Due to the great depth of the lake, the water does not have time to completely cool down - the lake never freezes, except on some shores. Issyk-Kul is translated from Kyrgyz as "Hot Lake". The ancient Kyrgyz called this pearl of the country "Tuz-Kul" - " Salt Lake"for the salty taste of water, which is not drinkable for either humans or animals.

The lake belongs to the formed tectonic way and due to the orographic isolation of the basin - the climate here is peculiar, almost marine. It is softer, warmer and more humid than in other depressions of the Tien Shan located at the same height.

According to the thermal regime, Issyk-Kul is a subtropical lake. Here, on the coast of the lake, it is moderately warm in summer, and not cold in winter. The average air temperature in January is minus 2 - minus 10 degrees, in July - plus 17 - plus 18. The average water temperature in summer is plus 21 - plus 23, in winter - minus 3 - minus 4. Western part the hollows are arid, rains are rare, and almost no snow falls. V western mountains, bordering the lake, there is only 115 mm of precipitation, while on the eastern shore - about 600 mm. However, in last years the amount of precipitation has increased - the impact of Global Warming is also noticeable in Kyrgyzstan.

More than 80 rivers and tributaries flow into the lake, but not a single river carries its waters from this azure lake, which causes the accumulation of salts (water salinity - 5.90%). The largest rivers flowing into the lake are Tyup (103 km) and Jergalan (81 km), the length of the rest does not exceed 50 km. Once upon a time, the Chu River, flowing along the western edge of the basin, carried its waters into the lake

Diverse contrast natural areas: in the east there are steppes on dark chestnut soils, along the mountain slopes in the west there is a semi-desert, but in the east, at the same heights, especially along the Terskey Ala-Too gorges, there are dense spruce forests. Diverse and organic world lakes - about 20 species of fish live here, 10 of them are acclimatized. Issyk-Kul is inhabited by: chebak, carp, marinka, osman, pike perch, bream, mirror carp, grass carp, Amurdarya and Sivan trout, whitefish and other fish.

The first to explore the lake was the great Russian traveler P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky. He wrote about Issyk-Kul: “It is hard to imagine anything more grandiose landscape that appears to a traveler from Kungei across the lake to the Heavenly Ridge. The dark blue surface of Issyk-Kul with its sapphire color can easily compete with the equally blue surface of Lake Geneva on the western side of the Kungei is almost limitless in the East, and the incomparable grandeur of the last landscape plan gives it such grandeur, which Lake Geneva does not have ".

The famous Russian traveler and scientist, researcher of Central Asia, N.M. Przhevalsky, was in love with this land and asked to be buried on the shore of the lake. Having seen the beauty of Kyrgyzstan, he said: "This is the same Switzerland, only better." After the death of Przhevalsky, a city was named in his honor, located next to the traveler's grave. Then, after the collapse of the USSR, Prezhevalsk was renamed into Karakol. The city houses the Prezhevalsky Museum.


Issyk-Kul attracts a huge number of tourists from Kazakhstan, Russia, other parts of the CIS, as well as foreign tourists... On the coast of the lake there are resorts that work all year round, where you can not only have a great rest, but also improve your health.

Issyk-Kul lake

Basic moments

Issyk-Kul is one of the deepest lakes in the world, located in the north-east of Kyrgyzstan in the Tien Shan mountains at an altitude of 1600 meters. The lake reaches 180 km in length, and its width varies from 30 to 60 km. Average depth the lake is 300 meters away, but in some places it reaches 700 meters. In terms of the purity and transparency of the water, the lake is second only to Baikal. Due to the huge water column, the lake does not have time to cool down and never freezes. About 80 rivers and tributaries flowing down from the Tien Shan glaciers flow into Issyk-Kul. But there is no drainage from the lake, and it accumulates all the valuable minerals brought by rivers and rains.

The climate in the vicinity of Issyk-Kul is moderately marine. The sun pleases with its appearance more often than on Black Sea coast... But there is no sweltering southern heat here, and there is no frost in winter. The average summer temperature is +24 ° C, the water warms up to +22 ... + 24 degrees. In winter, the thermometer rarely drops below 6 degrees below zero.

Hundreds of thousands of birds spend the winter or rest on the non-freezing lake during flights, watching which nature lovers will spend many fascinating hours.

Why go

Issyk-Kul gives incredible opportunities for recreation and health improvement - the purest mountain-sea air, thermal springs available all year round, therapeutic mud and healing mineral water. For a good rest, a year-round tourist infrastructure has been created here - comfortable housing, comfortable sandy beaches, cafes, cinemas, discos, boat and catamaran rental. The guests of Issyk-Kul are offered fascinating excursions to places untouched by civilization. Lovers active rest will gladly take part in mountain climbing, hiking and horseback riding, rafting. For those wishing to see underwater world dives into the lake to a depth of more than 20 meters are organized. Hang gliding over the beautiful Issyk-Kul will be one of the most exciting adventures in your life!

Fishermen will appreciate fishing on the lake - bream, carp, trout, tench, carp are found here.

There are only a few places on Earth with such a unique microclimate - the air contains a huge amount of iodine ions, sea salts, ozone, and the Issyk-Kul water is a truly magical storehouse - it contains all the useful chemical elements and trace elements, which, together with a weak alkaline reaction, have a powerful healing effect on the human body.

Resorts and attractions

The northern coast of Issyk-Kul is more comfortable, there are a lot of hotels for every taste and good entertainment infrastructure at the guests' service. The Cholpon-Ata resort is located here, mineral water which are similar in composition to the Essentuki sources. Local silt and hydrogen sulphide mud are famous for their analgesic and antibacterial properties. The local attractions, a water park and a 70-meter Ferris wheel are also worth a visit. In the vicinity of Cholpon-Ata, look into the Stone Garden, where you will see the unique ruins of the city from the times of the Great Silk Road.

Not far from Cholpon-Ata there is the village of Bosteri, famous for its fair and local apricots, cherries, and honey.

For a calm family vacation the village of Bulan-Sogotu is perfect.

In the village of Korumdu you can see an ethnographic zone with ancient petroglyphs.

The shallow beach near the village of Sara-oi will satisfy vacationers with children.

Near the village of Ak-Suu, you can plunge into unique springs - although they are located next to each other, the water in them differs in composition (hydrogen sulfide and radon) and in temperature (from +32 to +50).

Fans of esotericism consider it their duty to reach the local shrine of Tanga Tash, three gigantic stones lying at a distance of a kilometer from each other.

A 5-hour drive from Issyk-Kul lies the Dead Lake with healing mud and so salty water that it is impossible to drown in this reservoir. The chemical composition of the lake water is equivalent to that of the Dead Sea in Israel. Local mud is very effective in treating colds and skin conditions. If you come here, be prepared for the fact that the lake is not equipped in any way, on its banks there are only yurts, where you will be offered dishes of the national Kyrgyz cuisine. In no case try to take out the water - for this you will be punished with a large fine.

To the east of Issyk-Kul is the legendary Sentash pass - it was here that Tamerlane ordered to fill his famous stone heaps.

Be sure to go on an excursion to at least one of the most beautiful local gorges - Jety-Oguz with a zoological reserve and hydrogen sulfide springs; Barskhan, along which the Great Silk Road ran; Boom with a botanical reserve; Barskaun with magnificent waterfalls and a monument to Yuri Gagarin, who loved to visit these places.

Residence

It offers tourists more than two hundred sanatoriums with excellent medical facilities, boarding houses, rest homes, mini-hotels. Those who want to get as close as possible to nature and enjoy the local exoticism are offered traditional Kyrgyz yurts for living.

Helpful information

• Do not buy alcoholic beverages in markets and small shops - there is a danger of buying counterfeit products.
• During forest walks, do not eat unfamiliar berries and plants, do not pick mushrooms that you do not know.
• It is more profitable to buy souvenirs and things not in Issyk-Kul, but in Bishkek's Dordoi market.

How to get there

We fly by plane to Bishkek or Almaty, then by bus or train we go to Issyk-Kul. From Bishkek the road will take 4 hours, from Almaty 8 hours. To cross the borders of Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, a Russian passport is enough.

Many people who are going to go to rest on the shore of the Kyrgyz analogue of the Russian Baikal are sure that the water in Issyk-Kul is just as fresh. However, those who have been there have a completely different opinion. And that similarity is limited only by purity and size. So ?

Indeed, this is one of the main questions that worries potential guests of this fertile land. That is, is it possible to consider this water body really the closest analogue of the Baikal one. Yes, this body of water is one of the largest on the planet. The same applies to the purity of the content. According to this indicator, it is second only to Baikal. Depending on the time of day, the color of the surface changes: from blue to dark green. Purity is achieved here due to the fact that only mountain rivers... And those, as you know, originate from snow-white glaciers.

In total, 80 rivers flow into Issyk-Kul. Some of them flow through saline soil, rich in salts. Since none of it flows out, the mineralization of the contents is constantly increasing. Hence the salinity of the local water.

It contains a large amount of sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate (almost 6% of the total). Due to these elements, the liquid becomes so multicolored and completely undrinkable.

However, while bathing, it has a very beneficial effect on the body. Of course, this is not the Dead Sea, which can easily keep anyone on the surface. Here, the density of the liquid is not that high. In addition, it contains a lot of oxygen.

To catch or not to catch?

What kind of living creatures can be found in such a mineralized environment? Is it worth taking tackle and counting on prey? These are serious questions for some potential tourists. I don’t want to get into a mess, having spent wasted vacation on the shore without a single bite. For many species of fish, the conditions here have proven to be very suitable. True, the lake fauna used to be more diverse and was caught by fishermen in much larger numbers than now. There were marinka, osman, chebak. They in any form and degree of readiness could be purchased along the entire coast.

But these times have sunk into oblivion. Thanks to the introduction of predatory pike perch and trout here, the population of traditional local fish disappeared very quickly. So if the target is a predator, then this plan may well be feasible.

However, it should be borne in mind that winter fishing there is no class. And not at all because in the harsh winter months there is no one here and the road here is closed, due to the abnormally low values ​​on the thermometer. At this time here average temperature-5. Due to its extraordinary depth and mineral composition, this body of water never freezes.

Crimea or Issyk-Kul?

But you shouldn't go here just for fish. This area can bring other joys as well. Many doubt that in high altitude conditions, the temperature of the contents of the lake can reach suitable for swimming. But, as practice shows, this is not the case. In July, the water here warms up to 24 degrees. Yes, there is no suffocating heat here in summer. Due to the fact that the area is surrounded by mountains. Therefore, the climate here is more pleasant than, say, on the Black Sea coast, where it is often unbearably hot. At the same time, there are at least 300 sunny days here. And this is more than in the Crimea. And certainly more than on Baikal. So you can relax here even in winter. Naturally, in January they will not be able to plunge into the water, but it is quite possible to take a walk around the surroundings and get some air.

Issyk-Kul is a lake in the east of Kyrgyzstan in the northern part of the Tien Shan mountains. It is the tenth lake in the world in terms of volume (but not surface area) and the second largest among salt lakes after the Caspian Sea. Translated from Kyrgyz, Issyk-Kul means “ warm lake”, Despite the fact that it is surrounded on all sides by snowy peaks, the lake never freezes.

The lake is 182 km long and about 60 km wide. It is the second largest mountain lake in the world. It is located at an altitude of 1607 meters and reaches a depth of 668 meters. 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake, but none flows out. There is a hypothesis that the waters of the lake have an underground outlet to the Chu River.
The salinity of the lake is low - only 0.6% (for comparison - the usual sea ​​water has 3.5% salt). The water level decreases annually by 5 centimeters. The climate in the area of ​​the lake is mild, not as hot as in other parts of Kyrgyzstan.

The best period for beach holiday- July, August, the air temperature at this time is about 25 degrees, the water temperature is 22-23 degrees.

How to get there

The shortest way to Issyk-Kul is a flight to Bishkek airport. Route taxis depart from the Eastern station, on the way about 4 hours. A taxi will cost about $ 60.

The calendar low prices for flights to Bishkek:

Order an individual transfer from the airport HERE

A longer option is a flight to Almaty (Kazakhstan). I used this path at one time, because I also wanted to visit Medeo. In addition, the flight to Almaty was cheaper. Buses from Almaty to Issyk-Kul leave late in the evening, on the way about 8-9 hours, i.e. the road lasts all night. It should be noted that the rest on Issyk-Kul for the residents of Kazakhstan is economy class, therefore the buses were overcrowded with tourists, mainly young people.

The bus was very noisy, so it was difficult to sleep. In addition, at night it was necessary to go out to cross the border.

The border is formal, enough Russian passport, but do not forget to take out medical insurance just in case.

Where to stay

The most populated is the northern part of the Issyk-Kul coast. southern part Although it is no less picturesque, it was once contaminated with mercury, and gold is mined in this area by a foreign company. Although it is believed that the ecology of the region has already been fully restored, this part of the coast has developed more slowly, and the main tourist settlements are located in the northern part of the lake.
The main settlements are Cholpon-Ata and Bosteri; there are also numerous villages along the lake. Another big city on Issyk-Kul is Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk), it is located on the east of the lake coast.

There is a ski resort.

There are sanatoriums and boarding houses in the Issyk-Kul Lake area. The most famous are sanatoriums "Blue Issyk-Kul", "Cholpon-Ata" and "Kyrgyz seaside" in Bosteri.

They have a developed infrastructure and offer a wide range of services, located right on the shore of the lake. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance.

You can book accommodation in Issyk-Kul HERE.

Even on the bus, at the entrance to Issyk-Kul, real estate agents began to sit down with us and offer various options for accommodation. We agreed with one of the agents that he will show us several options in Bosteri. We got into a car and soon chose a nice room in a private mini-hotel 5 minutes walk from the lake. Accommodation prices are cheaper than in similar private hotels on the Black Sea coast.
A room in the private sector can be rented even cheaper. As a rule, the private sector is located farther from the coast, but its advantages are home meals from the owners and the ability to use the kitchen.

Hotel search in Cholpon-Ata:

Excursions around Issyk-Kul

The main thing is why it is worth doing such a long way to Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan - these are, of course, excursions. There is something to see here.

Excursions can be purchased at the boarding houses of the settlements.
We took excursions to Karakol, a two-day tour around Issyk-Kul in an off-road vehicle with an overnight stay in yurts, a trip to the famous Dordoi market in Bishkek.

Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk)

Karakol is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan. It contains interesting sights for tourists:

Russian Orthodox Cathedral

The cathedral was originally built of stone in 1872 when Karakol was a garrison city on the border of the tsarist empire. It was destroyed in 1890 by an earthquake and the current cathedral was built of wood on a brick foundation. Construction lasted 6 years and was completed in 1895. After the 1917 revolution, the building was used as an educational center, gym, theater, ballroom and even a coal warehouse. Then, in 1991, after the breakup Soviet Union and the declaration of Kyrgyzstan as independent, the building was again handed over to the Orthodox diocese.

Dungan Mosque

The Issyk-Kul central mosque of the city of Karakol was built by the Beijing architect Chu Seu in the traditional Chinese style. The construction of the mosque began in 1904 and ended in 1910. The mosque was built without a single nail, and is a monument of wooden architecture. In the period from 1929 to 1947, the building of the mosque was used as a warehouse, in 1947 it was transferred to the Muslim community. The mosque is currently open to visitors.

Przewalski Museum

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky is one of the first Russian scientists-geographers who began to study the geography, flora and fauna of the countries of Central Asia. Beginning in 1870, he organized 4 major expeditions to Mongolia, China and Tibet. He discovered and described over 200 plant species. He also collected a gigantic zoological collection. He died in 1988 from typhus, and was buried on the banks of the Issyk-Kul near the city of Karakol. The Przewalski Museum was opened in 1957 near the grave of the scientist.

Salt Lake Issyk-Kul /

Salt Lake is located at the southern tip of Issyk-Kul. It has a unique microclimate. Presumably, earlier it was part of Issyk-Kul, but then separated from the main lake, and the concentration of salts increased due to evaporation.

By chemical composition lake close to the composition of the water in the Dead Sea.

The lake is small in size, but it is difficult to swim across it, because because of the high salinity, it is impossible to swim there. Here you can, as in the Dead Sea, read a newspaper while lying on the water. The banks are covered with dark mud, which is considered medicinal. There are picturesque canyons around the lake where you can take pictures.

Gorge of seven bulls (Jety-Oguz) /

Picturesque red rocks on east coast Issyk-Kul. If you go further, you can see beautiful waterfall Girlish tears. Horseback riding, tea in a yurt, kumis are offered in the gorge.

Here you can buy delicious mountain honey for an inexpensive price.

It is impossible to tell about all the sights of Issyk-Kul in one article. Stay tuned for updates on the site. And if you are planning a trip to Kyrgyzstan - write questions in the comments, I will try to answer them.

Answer from Danila Serbenyuk[guru]
not salty!)) Baikal is also a lake, and more !!!

Answer from Victoria Kormilina (Kostenko)[newbie]
Yet many seas are larger

Answer from User deleted[guru]
Everything that has no outlet to the World Ocean is called lakes, and it is salty because there are solanchaks.

Answer from User deleted[guru]
not fair! agree with you! incredible beauty!

Answer from Rus[guru]
By definition, the sea is part of the world's oceans. Everything that does not communicate with the ocean no less than the strait is not the sea. By the way, the Caspian is a lake called the "Caspian Sea". And the Aral, until it dried up, although it was called the sea, but was a lake. And pay attention: based on the definition, the sea cannot dry up, if the flow (evaporation) of water exceeds its arrival along the rivers and due to precipitation, the shortage will be compensated by the inflow through the strait. And through what strait can water get to Issyk-Kul?