7th of December, 2022.
I think that my beloved students from Logos Educational Centre motivated me on writing a separated text only to talk about Kyrgyzstan. Why? Because I have learnt so much with them about this country! They are always telling me some new facts which I am not aware of it: about myths, history, heroes, traditional food, places, family traditions, literature, etc. There wouldn’t be enough space to fit on my text about Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan region it has been used for many years, for being part of the Silk Road. You can say that it is an ancient place. Manas and his descendants are the heroes of the nation. They fought against the Mongols invasions, protected and defended the country. On the Silk Road you can visit Manas Kumbozu, a mausoleum from the 14th Century, which even though has belonged to Chagatai princess, Manas’ wife, people relate him to it as well.
Apparently, 94% of the area of Kyrgyzstan is covered by mountains. Can you believe that? You can spot then even from some of the big cities, like Osh, or the capital, Bishkek. They are gorgeous, fatty mountains, which attract more and more travellers every year.
You can find some rare and unique species here. Fauna and Flora. For example, the flower Aigul, which is known for only flowering one every two years and only in the mountains. It is a red flower, which has a myth of love and death behind it. Or their Snow Leopard, this incredibly beautiful and unique animal, which unfortunately is endangered of extinction.
In the big cities, like Bishkek and Osh, because they use coal to produce energy and to warm the houses, you can see de pollution in the air quite easily. But in the rest of the country, in the countryside, the air is really clean and fresh. The same for drinking water! Kygyz people are very proud of their water!
The most famous and popular writer is Cinghiz Aitmatov (1928-2008). My students recommend me to read The First Teacher (1962), a story about a young Kyrgyz man, who starts teaching the children of his small village.
The youth community is very proud of the way they treat their elderly people. You must respect them always, and that is on the way you talk with them; by giving them a seat on the public transportation, etc. They are very shocked to hear that in other countries around the world, young people don’t follow these steps.
As in other Central Asian countries, in Kyrgyzstan they eat a lot of meat. Some of their traditional dishes are, as in Kazakhstan, Beshbarmak and Manti. Their traditional bread is called Tandyr nan or Lepyoshka, and I think it is delicious! They also love some dairy products like Kaymak and its variations. But not so much cheese though.
Names can carry strong meanings, like some of my students have told me:
Aisuluu = Pretty Moon
Zhumagul = Friday’s Flower
Doro = Persian King
Sezimtal = Feelings (adj.)
10 Years Around the World 