Issyk Kul region

Maybe less know, petroglyphs of Ornok are of the same period than petroglyphs of Cholpon Ata. A wild open air museum, where you have to find by yourself stones drawn during bronze, iron ages, and during the early Middle Ages. There are more than 2000 stone boulders, with images of ancient hunters and animals such as the mountain goat (Ibex), deers: totemic animals of the Bugu's tribe, dogs, leopards, horses, camels.

Aalam Ordo is located along the road on the southern shore of lake Issyk-Kul 5 kilometers east of Kaji-Say, between the main road and the beach. 

Near the former airport of Cholpon Ata, you may find a large site of petroglyphs from Bronze Age and some sacred places. There are thousand of drawings. First were painted by the Andronov tribes (Andronic), the former Sintashta tribe who colonized Central Asia around 3800 year BC. They were agro-pastoral. Then, we can see paintings from Scythian's tribes (VIII-III centuries B.C.). Most of drawings show animals like ibex or deer for example. 

The story of the church goes back to July 1869, when Karakol was a garrison town on the edges of the Tsarist Russian Empire. The Karakol church, however, was destroyed in an earthquake in 1889, which caused havoc in the town and took several lives.  It took six years to complete, and was finally consecrated in 1895.  It has seen considerable service, not just as a church. 

A difficult road cross this pass, through the Terskey Alatoo and permit to link the south shore of the Issyk Kul's lake to the Djiluu Suu valley. 

The pass is not opening by the government, so it means you can maybe pass between snowfalls, and with a very good 4x4 car.

There are two lakes, 1,2 km long and a lower lake 340 meters long. They are part of the Terskey Alatoo and the Issyk Kul oblast, even if the river flow into the Naryn bassin. It's situated near a popular local place names Jilu Suu (Jeli Suu) and its hot sources. From hot spring, you may count one day to hike there and back. It's also part of a trek between the valley of Karagoman till Jilu Suu through these lakes. Long time ago, these lakes were created after the retreat of the glacier Kelter (Köl Toer) which culminates at 4478 meters altitude.