CHOLPON-ATA

  Founded in 1976 as an administrative center of recreational Issyk-Kul area Cholpon-Ata supports a population of 10 thousand people. You can rent a bed or room here in almost any house during summer time - it is main income of local residents. There is not much to see but it does have a nice regional historical museum and some very old rock inscriptions on the territory of open air gallery. They apparently date from about 2000 BC to the 8th century AD but most part is from 5th to 1st century BC and were made by Scythian (saka) people. Scenes are different: deer, hunters, wolves, ibex… In Cholpon-Ata valley there are 5 thousand petroglyphs and around 1 thousand on the territory of museum.

  As you enter the city coming from Bishkek you will see a mausoleum of Cholpon-Ata - the father of morning star who lived here. It was built with a help of local crime businessman who loves his city very much. As you leave Cholpon-Ata in direction of Karakol you drive through Rappoport Alley named after director of local hyppodrome who ordered his staff to plant one poplar along the road on their way to the city. After years poplars grew into a huge trees intercrossed on the top making a live tonnel over the road.