8 facts about Kyrgyzstan you probably didn’t know

Ben Crowley

June 20, 2022

Kyrgyzstan is the picturesque mountainous republic in Central Asia that borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Although still not really known by most of the world, it is slowly making its mark as an increasingly popular tourist destination. Here are 8 facts you might want to know before you head there on your next holiday.

1. Kyrgyzstan isn’t actually called Kyrgyzstan

Probably a good idea to get this really big one out the way. Kyrgyzstan hasn’t been called Kyrgyzstan for years. In the mid 2000s Kyrgyzstan officially changed their name to the Kyrgyz Republic due to the negative connotations associated with the suffix ‘stan’. The suffix ‘stan’ translates to ‘country’ or ‘land’, and the first places that come to mind are usually conflict spots such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. To make things even more confusing, Russian speakers often refer to the country as Kirgizia. Luckily, whether you call it Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz Republic or Kirgizia, locals won’t really care, they’re just glad you’ve heard of them.

2. Kyrgyzstan is very mountainous

90% of Kyrgyzstan is covered in mountains. In fact, 94% of the country is more than 1000m above sea level. Kyrgyzstan boasts several mountains higher than 7000m and arguably the easiest 7000m+ peak to climb in the world which is called Pik Lenin (Lenin Peak). Many locals called Kyrgyzstan the Switzerland of Central Asia, however not holding a Eurocentric view of the world, I prefer to think of Switzerland as the Kyrgyzstan of Europe!

3. Kyrgyzstan has one of the shortest railway networks in the world

At 428km long, it doesn’t really take you very far or to many places, with only a handful of stations. In fact, most locals don’t bother with rail and instead use bus transport to get around. There are 2 main lines in Kyrgyzstan, one in the north of the country and the other in the south, and these are in no way connected. The southern line connects to the Uzbekistan train system and has not been operational since 2010, while the northern line connects to the Kazakhstan network. It is possible to catch a train from Bishkek all the way to Moscow, and the trip will take you roughly 74 hours.

4. Kyrgyzstan is home to the longest poem in the world

At only 500,000 lines, the Epic of Manas, is as the name suggests epic. The poem reportedly dates back to the 18 ^th century and tells the story of the national hero of Kyrgyzstan and founder of the first Kyrgyz nation, Manas, his exploits, descendants and stories surrounding his life. The Kyrgyz believe the poem is much older, however many historians dispute this as well as the likelihood of whether Manas existed. One problem is that the Epic of Manas is an oral tradition meaning there is very few recorded sources or mentions of it in historical documents.

Normally when the Epic of Manas is recited, small portions are used, as the whole thing takes roughly 5 days to recite, meaning it’s a bit like a cricket match. Special individuals make it their full-time job and life’s goal to remember the entire Epic by heart and then recite it at important events and gatherings.

5. Kyrgyzstan is still quite proud of the Soviet Union

Alongside Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan still has Russian as an official language, and there generally doesn’t seem to be the same drive to de-Russify themselves in the same way that many other former Soviet countries did. Many Kyrgyz are quite proud of the achievements gained under the USSR including 100% literacy, roads, electrifications, women’s rights, renewable hydro power, just to name a few. Unlike most other former Soviet republics, the Kyrgyz have not torn down communist era statues of Lenin or those to the war dead in the various conflicts including WWII.

6. Kyrgyzstan has the world’s largest walnut forest

Located in the south of the country, the area around Arslanbob boasts the largest walnut forest in the world at over 11,000 hectares. If it wasn’t for Kyrgyzstan, I would haven’t known that walnuts grew in forests. It is reported that Alexander the Great first introduced walnuts to Europe after coming across this forest in the 4 ^th century. According to scientists the walnut forest is roughly 50 million years old. As well as producing a huge number of walnuts for domestic consumption and export, this is also a popular local tourist destination especially in summer as it’s a great place to escape the heat. There is also a legend that Winston Churchill agreed to supply arms to Stalin during WWII on the condition that he provide wood from this famous walnut forest to put in Rolls Royce cars.

7. Kyrgzystan is home to the world’s second largest alpine lake

Lake Issyk Kol (which means Lake Warm Lake) is second only to Lake Titicaca in Peru. Despite being high in the mountains and surrounded by freezing conditions in winter, the lake doesn’t freeze over due to its warmth and salt content. The lake is 160km long and 70km wide. The maximum depth is 668m. It’s an extremely popular holiday destination in summer with people from all over the former Soviet Union coming here for their holidays. The beaches get crowded during the day and the resorts, bars and restaurants happening at night. If you happen to go off season though you’ll probably think it’s not a particularly happening place.

8. Bride-napping is very common, however most are consensual

Yes, you read that right, most bride-napping (bride kidnappings) are consensual. Although there are many women stolen against their will, often violently, many women elect to be bride-napped as it is seen as a tradition. The other reason why a couple might choose to resort to bride-napping is because it is a loophole that gets around disapproving parents. If the parents of a girl have refused to let her marry a particular boy, then he can resort to bride-napping, thus the parents no longer have any say in the matter.

Fancy a visit to this interesting little country? Have a look to see if there are any tours you'd like to join!