Lakes of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country, but not only that, it is also a country of mountain lakes. Most mountain lakes are small reservoirs of glacial or dammed origin. In general, there are over 1900 lakes of various origins on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. Many lakes are shrouded in legends, their origin is so unusual. We decided to introduce you to some of them, which are the most popular among tourists. Among them, the most famous alpine lakes are: Ala-Kol, Zhasyl-Kol, Merzbachera, Kel-Kogur, Song-Kol. Of course, one cannot remain silent about the pride of Kyrgyzstan, Lake Issyk-Kul.
The high-altitude lake Ala-Kol is located in the mountains of the Central Tien Shan, in the basin of the right tributary of the Karakol River, in Kyrgyzstan, translated from Kyrgyz it means “Motley Lake”. The lake is located at an altitude of 3532 meters above sea level. It is of glacial origin. The length of the lake is 2,3 km. width 600-700, depth more than 70 meters.

The high-altitude lake Zhasyl-Kol is located in the Northern Tien Shan and is considered the most beautiful lake from which the Chong-Kemin River originates. The lake is of the dam type and is located at an altitude of 3427 meters above sea level. Translated from Kyrgyz it means blue lake. The name corresponds to the color of the water in the lake; sometimes the lake changes shades, it all depends on the weather. There are no fish or plants in the lake. There is a walking route across the lake to the shores of Issyk-Kul and the valleys of the Chilik and Chong-Kemin rivers.

The high-altitude lake Merzbacher is located in the mountains of the Central Tien Shan, between the Tengri-Tag and Saryjaz ridges. The lake is located almost at an altitude of 3304 meters above sea level among peaks that reach a height of 6000 meters above sea level, the length of the lake is 4 kilometers, the width is 1 kilometer, the greatest depth is 70 meters. The lake is unique; it forms every summer and flows into the Inylchek River in August. Due to the fact that the lake is divided into two parts (lower and upper), the lower part of the lake flows into the river, and the upper part is constantly filled with water. It is precisely because of its constant disappearance that the lake has gained great popularity; similar lakes are still found in the world in Switzerland, Iceland and on the island of Greenland. But the peculiarity of Lake Merzbacher is that it is very precise in the time of its disappearance. The lake is named after the German geographer who discovered this lake in 1903.

The alpine lake Kel-Kogur is located on the northern slope of the Kungei Ala-Too ridge at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. The lake stretches from north to south; to the north there is a natural dam, which was formed as a result of a mountain collapse. Lake Kel-Kogur is located in a picturesque forest area, home to various wild animals, such as deer, Turkestan lynx, golden eagles and others. The lake can only be reached on foot or on horseback.

The high-altitude lake Song-Kol is located between the Sonkeltau and Moldatau ridges at an altitude of 3016 meters above sea level, the length of the lake is 28 km, the width is 18 km, the greatest depth is 14 m. The basin of the lake is of tectonic origin. This is the second largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. Four rivers flow into the lake - these are Kum-Bel, Ak-Tash, Tash-Dobo and Kara-Keche, and one river, Sonkel, flows out. The eastern part of the lake belongs to the Karatal-Zhalyryk State Reserve. The lake is home to about 10 species of fish.
Lake Issyk-Kul. The first mention of this amazing lake was found in Chinese chronicles of the late 2nd century BC, where it was mentioned as a warm sea and called Zhe-Hai. As the astronauts note, the lake has an amazing view from space; it looks like the human eye. The lake does not freeze even in cold winters, despite the fact that it is located at an altitude of 1609 meters above sea level in the northeastern part of the republic, between the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan. Along the entire perimeter of Issyk-Kul there are mountains, the tops of which are covered with snow even in summer. Lake Issyk-Kul is drainless and about 80 small tributaries flow into it. Many of these rivers are given life by eternal glaciers. In the western part the Chu River comes very close to the lake. Lake Issyk-Kul is the second most transparent water in the world after Lake Baikal. The climate of the coast is moderately maritime. The rare combination of sea and mountain climates attracts numerous tourists to Lake Issyk-Kul on vacation in Kyrgyzstan. Another important property of the reservoir is that the lake has medicinal mineral waters, hot springs and medicinal mud. Issyk-Kul resorts have a large...
The number of high-class hotels where you can be offered a decent holiday in Issyk-Kul.