Cholpon-Ata

Cholpon-Ata
Чолпоната
Rukh Ordo complex at Cholpon-Ata
Cholpon-Ata
Location in Kyrgyzstan
Coordinates: 42°39′N 77°05′E / 42.650°N 77.083°E / 42.650; 77.083Coordinates: 42°39′N 77°05′E / 42.650°N 77.083°E / 42.650; 77.083
Country Kyrgyzstan
Region Issyk-Kul Region
District Issyk Kul District
Elevation 1,633 m (5,359 ft)
Population (2009)
 • Total 10,525
Time zone UTC+6 (KGT)
A boulder-strewn slope at Cholpon-Ata has numerous examples of petroglyphs, some showing people hunting animals which are now extinct or scarce in the area

Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyz: Чолпон-Ата, Çolpon-Ata, چولپون-اتا, pronounced [tʃolponɑtɑ́], literally "Venus-father", the name of a mythological protecting spirit) is a resort town on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan with a population of 10,525 (2009 census).[1] It is the administrative center of the Issyk Kul District of Issyk-Kul Region; this district occupies most of the lake's north shore. To the west along highway A363 is Tamchy and to the east, Bosteri.

The town contains numerous large and small sanatoria, hotels and guesthouses to accommodate the many visitors who descend upon the lake in summer. During the Soviet era it was much frequented by vacationers brought here in organized mass tours from other parts of the USSR. Holidaymakers now usually visit on their own or in small groups and originate mainly from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Attracting more demanding foreign tourists will require substantial upgrading of the existing facilities, but the location is certainly attractive. The view of the imposing alpine ranges of the Tian Shan across the lake is impressive. There is a good local museum and an open-air site with about 2000 petroglyphs dating from 800 BC to 1200AD.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 2009 population census of the Kyrgyz Republic: Issyk-Kul Region at the Wayback Machine (archived 2011-08-10)
  2. ↑ Luc Hermann, Les pétroglyphes de Tcholpon-Ata, Paris, 2010 http://www.bod.fr/index.php?id=1786&objk_id=429117


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