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'Issyk Kul' (also 'Ysyk Köl', 'Issyk-kol', Kyrgyz: 'Ысыккөл') is an endorheic lake in the northern Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the ninth largest lake in the world by volume, and the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea. Although it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it never freezes, hence its name, which means "warm lake" in the Kyrgyz language.

Contents

Geography

Tourism

History

Fish

The Legend of its Creation

Russian Navy test site

Lakeside towns

References

Geography

Lake Issyk Kul has a length of 182 km, a width of up to 60 km, and covers an area of 6,236 km². This makes it the second largest mountain lake in the world behind Lake Titicaca in South America. Located at an altitude of 1,606 m, it reaches 668 m in depth^[1].
About 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake - the largest are Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs, and snow melt-off, and it has no current outlet. Its southern shore is dominated by the ruggedly beautiful Tian Shan mountain range. The lake water has salinity of approx. 0.6% (less that 20% that of seawater) and its level drops by approximately 5 cm per year.^[2]

Tourism

During the Soviet era, the lake became a popular vacation resort, with numerous sanatoria, boarding houses and vacation homes along its northern shore, many concentrated in and around the town of Cholpon-Ata. These fell on hard times after the break-up of the USSR, but now hotel complexes are being refurbished and simple private bed-and-breakfast pensions are being established for a new generation of health and leisure visitors.
The city of Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk, after the Russian explorer Przhevalsky who died there) is the administrative seat of Issyk-Kul ''oblast'' or province. It is located near the eastern tip of the lake and is a good base for excursions into the surrounding area. Its small old core contains an impressive wooden mosque, built without metal nails by the Uyghur people, and a wooden Orthodox church that was used as a stable during Soviet times (see state atheism).

History

Lake Issyk Kul was a stopover on the Silk Road, a land route for travelers from the Far East to Europe. Many historians believe that the lake was the point of origin for the Black Death that plagued Europe and Asia during the early and mid-14th century. The lake's status as a byway for travelers allowed the plague to spread across these continents via medieval merchants who unknowingly carried infested vermin along with them. A 14th century Armenian monastery was found on the northeastern shores of the lake by retracing the steps of a medieval map used by Venetian merchants on the Silk Road.

Fish

Sevan trout, a fish endemic to Lake Sevan in Armenia, was introduced into Issyk-Kul in the 1970s. While this fish is an endangered species in its "home" lake, it has a much better chance to survive in Lake Issyk-Kul where it has ravaged the indigenous species.

The Legend of its Creation

In pre-Islamic legend, the king of the Ossounes had donkey's ears. He would hide them, and order each of his barbers killed to hide his secret. One barber yelled the secret into a well, but he didn't cover the well after. The well water rose and flooded the kingdom. The kingdom is today under the waters of Issyk-Kul. This is how the lake was formed, so legend says. Other legends say that four drowned cities lie at the bottom of the lake; in fact, substantial archaeological finds have been made in shallow waters of the lake.

Russian Navy test site

There is a long-established Soviet, now Russian, test site located at the lake, where submarine and torpedo technology was evaluated.^[3]

Lakeside towns

★ Balykchy

★ Cholpon-Ata

★ Karakol

★ Barskon

References

1. http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/asi/dasi55.html
2. http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/asi/asi-55.html
3. Kommersant-Vlast, 'Vys Rossiya Armia', 2005

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★ World Lake Database entry for Lake Issyk-Kul