Issyk Kul water salinity. Mountain lake Issyk-Kul

One of the symbols of Kyrgyzstan is the legendary Lake Issyk-Kul. This huge lake, located high in the mountains, has crystal clear water. Its transparent blue surface stretches for many kilometers. Issyk-Kul replaces the sea for all residents of Central Asia. Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, and Uzbeks come here.

General information about Lake Issyk-Kul

To find out where Lake Issyk-Kul is located, you can use the Google map, which can even determine the coordinates of the reservoir. They are 42.26.00 s. w. 77. 11. 00 century. d. The length of Lake Issyk-Kul is 182 km, and its width reaches 58–60 km, its area is 6330 sq. km. The maximum depth of the reservoir reaches 702 meters, its height above sea level is 1608 meters.

Due to the fact that more than 50 rivers flow into the lake, and not a single one leaves it, many minerals are concentrated in it and the water here is as salty as the sea. Salinity in ppm reaches almost 6. In winter, the lake does not freeze due to its great depth and high concentration of mineral salts; the water temperature during this period does not drop below 2-3 degrees Celsius. Only in some places of the bays in especially cold winters can the water become covered with a crust of ice.

The reservoir contains a wide variety of fish. IN Soviet era Several fish hatcheries operated here, which supported the population of rare and expensive varieties of fish: trout, pike perch, bream and many others. But even now fishing attracts numerous tourists to these areas.

Recreation and attractions

The reservoir has a unique pristine nature. On its shores there are alternating settlements and cities built in ancient times, with a rich history and culture, and also replete with unusual attractions. There are sanatoriums, children's camps, tourist centers and various complexes designed for relaxation and restoration of health.

North Shore

Lake Issyk-Kul is famous for its beauty, but there is much more interesting in its surroundings. For example, on the northern side there is an unusual Rukh-Ordo complex ( spiritual center), the main goal of which is to prove that God is one. Upon entering it, 5 almost identical white chapels immediately catch your eye, museum exhibits, symbolizing the main world religions:

• Islam;
• Orthodoxy;
• Buddhism;
• Catholicism;
• Judaism.

In cities known as popular resorts, Cholpon-Ata and Bosteri, located five kilometers from each other, vacationers are provided with all the conditions necessary for proper rest and entertainment. For example, in the city of Boster there is a huge Ferris wheel, which allows you to easily see the entire coast of Issyk-Kul. There is also a water park and many different attractions. Cholpon-Ata is famous for its unique museums, numerous restaurants and cafes.

Not far from these cities are located mineral springs equipped with comfortable outdoor swimming pools. There are also beautiful unique gorges, where tourists go in droves every summer, where they do interesting photos, admire the surrounding landscapes and forever take with them their love for the Issyk-Kul region.

On the northern shore of the lake the climate for recreation is more favorable, and swimming season lasts longer than on the opposite south coast. There are a lot of sanatoriums, as well as private boarding houses and small hotels. The beaches are sandy, sometimes with pebbles, or completely covered with clean, fine sand, so relaxing and swimming in the lake here is more convenient.

In the coming season of 2017, Lake Issyk-Kul awaits its admirers at summer holiday. There is no sweltering heat here, like on the Black Sea, but the lake warms up quite well - up to 24 degrees. The water is second only to Baikal in its unique composition, purity and transparency. It’s not for nothing that these regions are called the second Switzerland.

South Bank

On the southern side, the natural landscape is richer and amazes with diversity, the shores are rocky and inconvenient for swimming, but the water is much cleaner and more transparent. There are fewer vacationers, mini-hotels and boarding houses. The most visited places are Tamga and Kadzhi-Sai. There is a military sanatorium in the village of Tamga.

Few travelers know that on the southern side of the lake there is the Kyrgyz Dead Sea - salt lake. It is called so because of the mineral composition of the water. The lake measures about three hundred meters wide and five hundred meters long. The bottom is on average 2-3 meters deep. The water is saturated with microelements.

When plunging into the lake, vacationers experience a feeling of weightlessness, like in the Dead Sea. It is impossible to drown in such water; it literally pushes you to the surface. The properties of Salt Lake water are in no way inferior to healing water Dead Sea in Israel. You can improve your health here in just a few days.

The south side of the lake is famous beautiful scenery. Here is the most beautiful gorge not only on the Issyk-Kul coast, but throughout Central Asia. It is called Fairytale Valley. Wind and water have created truly amazing and unusual landscapes here, the description of which is impossible in simple terms. in human words. These are some of the most ancient mountains in Kyrgyzstan, which took thousands of years to form. The mountain folds look like pictures depicting quaint castles built of white clay. The shells found remind us that there was once an ancient sea here.

The southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul is more suitable for those who know how to appreciate beauty pristine nature. There are almost no sandy beaches here; in most cases they are small pebbles, turning into large boulders. But the southern coast is very picturesque; the nature of Issyk-Kul itself has become its main attraction. Here you can take wonderful photos that will keep the memory of this amazing adventure for a long time.

Secrets and history of Lake Issyk-Kul

The waters of Issyk-Kul contain a lot of unsolved mysteries. Over many centuries and millennia, the surface of the lake sank and rose again more than once. When Lake Issyk-Kul once again overflowed its boundaries, its waters absorbed on its way all the cities and settlements that were located in its vicinity. So many villages of ancient people found themselves at the bottom. And in them, researchers discover household items that belong not only to different time periods, but also to different cultures.

Historians explain this by the fact that trade caravans passed through this place in ancient times and the Middle Ages. Due to the fact that the Silk Road ran there, signs of almost all of humanity are found at the bottom of the lake and in its surroundings during archaeological research. In total, at the bottom of Issyk-Kul there are up to hundreds of local objects, large and small, that can be identified as a settlement.

Legend of the lake

Kyrgyzstan keeps many legends about the amazing and wonderful Lake Issyk-Kul. Here is one of them, which explains the origin of the reservoir. A long time ago, in the very place where the waves of Lake Issyk-Kul splash, there stood a huge beautiful city with magnificent palaces and numerous streets and houses where ordinary people lived. But suddenly the earth began to emit tremors, and an earthquake of unprecedented strength began, which spared neither people nor buildings. Everything was destroyed, and the earth itself sank, and a depression formed in this place, which filled with water. So a deep lake appeared on the site of the city.

Several girls from this city early in the morning, shortly before the earthquake, went high into the mountains for brushwood, and that was the only reason they remained alive. They began to mourn their dead relatives and friends who were buried at the bottom of the lake. Every day they came to the shore and shed hot tears there, which flowed in streams into Lake Issyk-Kul. There were so many of them that the water in it became as bitter and salty as the tears of the girls.

Why is the water in Issyk-Kul salty?

Prices for holidays on Lake Issyk-Kul are growing much faster than the quality of tourism infrastructure is improving. According to Kyrgyz tour operators, the only thing most predictable on the lake this year is the weather. As for prices for boarding house services, we can only predict the situation in terms of their growth.

The most inexpensive season was June, when the average price for a holiday in more or less decent boarding houses was 50 conventional units. It is difficult to say unequivocally what exactly is meant by units. In the last two years, travel business owners have preferred to make payments in more stable euros. “A night’s stay in the most comfortable hotels on the coast will cost an average of about $150 in July. But we are not talking about suites, but about standard rooms. A suite will cost at least $200. It is possible that during the peak holiday season in August, the cost will be even higher,” one of the Bishkek travel agencies told Liter. If last year you had to pay 35 dollars for rooms with the most modest conditions, now you will need at least 70.

This is provided that vacationers will be fed only breakfast and dinner,” tourism manager Ainura Bekesheva shares information. - Now many boarding houses indicate in their price lists prices exclusively for accommodation in rooms, not including meals. Therefore, the price of 50 dollars per night changes to 70 or 80 dollars.

The main tourists, as in previous years, are natives of Russia and Kazakhstan. For most Kyrgyzstanis, Issyk-Kul is nothing more than a weekend route; there is not enough money for more. True, this year there are fewer Russians due to rising prices. According to tour operators, a vacation consisting of monotonous lying on the beach and eating smoked Baltic herring, which is often passed off as “indigenous” Issyk-Kul whitefish, is not particularly attractive to foreign lovers of exotic travel. Starting this year, scooter riding is also prohibited on the lake. The reason is the large number of accidents in the 2007 season. The issue was also raised in parliament that jet skis threaten the ecology of the lake. This time the jet ski will be available only in closed luxury hotels. So the most common proposal is a horse route.

The reason for the increase in prices was the rise in the cost of electricity, as well as a sharp jump in food prices. However, charging an order of magnitude higher than conventional units does not guarantee that the vacation will also not be conventional, but comfortable. For the first time, a government commission headed by the recently appointed Deputy Prime Minister Elmira Ibraimova decided to meticulously study the conditions for receiving vacationers. The ex-leader of the pro-presidential parliamentary faction "Akzhol" chose the most popular vacation spots as objects of inspection. It is no coincidence that the inspection concerned only the northern coast, where the tourism infrastructure is most developed. Nothing could hide from the watchful government eye of a high-ranking commission. Tourist business owners have been subjected to severe criticism, ranging from poor landscaping to funds ineffectively spent on major repairs.

The commission members had many questions about the fences around the beach area. According to the akim of the Issyk-Kul region, Turusbek Mansurov, local residents are indignant that it is now impossible to walk along the beach. And the owners of private properties say that otherwise someone might lose valuables. “We need to think about how to resolve this issue,” noted Elmira Ibraimova. The words of the director of one of the oldest boarding houses on the Issyk-Kul coast that repairs worth 500 thousand soms were recently carried out here only raised a lot of questions among the commission members. “It’s unnoticeable that so much money has been invested in the health resort,” summed up E. Ibraimova.

Representatives of the state commission, consisting of employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, State Construction, Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision and environmentalists, came to the conclusion that in all state boarding houses, due to the lack of sufficient funding, there are problems with fire safety; in the canteens, food service conditions, air exchange, sanitary and environmental standards, and bathrooms are not observed and the toilets leave a lot to be desired. In addition, the inspectors noted that many health resorts have a large territory, but it is not well-kept or deserted. “It is necessary to attract investors to develop the infrastructure, as private owners do,” members of the commission believe. The established list of paid services raised questions. According to Zamir Dzhumashev, a representative of the State Agency for Tourism, owners often make a profit from renting cottages, but are in no hurry to invest the money they receive in the development of the infrastructure of boarding houses. “Here you have to pay for every step: for blankets, mattresses, for entering the territory of the health resort. And this despite the fact that the tours are very expensive,” noted a representative of the country’s main tourism department, leaving Golden Sands.

The comments also concerned the toilets. In a number of recreational facilities that came under inspection, stationary toilets were not working, and dry toilets had not yet been installed. “You understand that when there are no toilets near the beach, people relieve themselves in the lake,” the Deputy Prime Minister appealed to the professional duty of directors.

Environmentalists also did not remain in debt, noting that the environmental protection zone is not taken into account at all: cafes and summer bars are located right next to the shore, throwing garbage into the pearl of Central Asia. “Most of the garbage is brought to us by local residents who come to swim, taking food with them,” the heads of the Blue Issyk-Kul boarding house told the state commission. The beach of this health resort is open to everyone. Experts believe that such free luxury will soon be few and far between. Most of the beaches will be paid, which is already causing dissatisfaction local residents.

Summing up the results of the state inspection, E. Ibraimova instructed employees of the relevant departments not to issue permits to receive tourists to those boarding houses that do not comply with accepted standards. “And if different “roofs” call you, be firm, because the well-being of the region and the safety of the lake are behind you,” she noted.

But, most likely, this instruction remained nothing more than a good wish. There is no information yet that any boarding house on the coast is closed.

But positive changes should occur in matters of ensuring law and order in the resort area. “The Ministry of Internal Affairs is considering the issue of involving a mounted platoon of patrol and guard service on duty in the Issyk-Kul region. Additionally, about 200 regional police officers and cadets and officers of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, sent to help them, will be involved every day,” the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs told Liter. Increased safety measures are associated with activities on the lake this summer season. large number events within the CIS, where Kyrgyzstan chairs this year.

Ruslan Andreev, Bishkek - Cholpon-Ata

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Many people who are planning to go on vacation on the shores of the Kyrgyz analogue of Russian Baikal are sure that the water in Issyk-Kul is just as fresh. However, those who visited there have a completely different opinion. And that the similarity is limited only by purity and size. So ?

Indeed, this is one of the main questions that worries potential guests of this fertile land. That is, can this water body really be considered the closest analogue of the Baikal one? Yes, this body of water is one of the largest on the planet. The same applies to the purity of the content. According to this indicator, it is second only to Baikal. Depending on the time of day, the color of the surface changes: from blue to dark green. Purity here is achieved due to the fact that only mountain rivers flow into it. And those, as you know, originate from snow-white glaciers.

In total, runoff from 80 rivers flows into Issyk-Kul. Some of them flow through saline soil rich in salts. Since none of it flows out, the mineralization of the contents constantly increases. Hence the salinity of the local water.

In its composition large number sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate (almost 6% of the total volume). Due to these elements, the liquid becomes so multi-colored and completely undrinkable.

However, during bathing it has a very beneficial effect on the body. Of course, this is not the Dead Sea, which can easily keep anyone on the superficial. Here the liquid density is not so high. In addition, it contains a lot of oxygen.

To catch or not to catch?

What kind of living creatures can live in such a mineralized environment? Is it worth taking gear and counting on production? These are serious questions for some potential tourists. You don’t want to get into trouble by wasting your vacation on the shore without a single bite. For many species of fish, the local conditions turned out to be very suitable. True, earlier the lake fauna was more diverse and was caught by fishermen in much greater quantities than now. Marinka, Osman, and Chebak were found here. They could be purchased in any form and degree of readiness along the entire coast.

But those times have sunk into oblivion. Thanks to the introduction of predatory pike perch and trout here, the populations of traditional local fish very quickly disappeared. So, if the target of the catch is a predator, then this plan may well be feasible.

However, it is worth taking into account that winter fishing there is no class here. And not at all because during the harsh winter months there is no one here and the road here is blocked, as a result of abnormally low values ​​on the thermometer. At this time here average temperature-5. Due to its extraordinary depth and mineral composition, this reservoir never freezes.

Crimea or Issyk-Kul?

But you shouldn't come here just for fish. This area can bring other joys as well. Many doubt that in high altitude conditions, the temperature of the lake contents can reach a temperature suitable for swimming. But, as practice shows, this is not so. In July, the water here warms up to 24 degrees. Yes, in summer there is no suffocating heat here. Due to the fact that the area is surrounded by mountains. Therefore, the climate here is more pleasant than, say, on the Black Sea coast, where it is often unbearably hot. At the same time sunny days there are at least 300 here. And this is more than in Crimea. And certainly more than on Lake Baikal. So you can relax here even in winter. Naturally, in January you won’t be able to take a dip in the water, but it’s quite possible to take a walk around the surrounding area and breathe some air.

Reply from Danila Serbenyuk[guru]
not salty!)) Baikal is also a lake, and more!!!

Reply from Victoria Kormilina (Kostenko)[newbie]
But still many seas are larger

Reply from User deleted[guru]
Everything that does not have access to the World Ocean is called lakes, and it is salty because there are salt marshes there.

Reply from User deleted[guru]
unfair! I agree with you! incredible beauty!

Reply from Rus[guru]
By definition, a sea is a part of the world's oceans. Anything that is not connected to the ocean by at least a strait is not a sea. By the way, the Caspian is a lake called the “Caspian Sea”. And the Aral, until it dried up, although it was called a sea, was a lake. And please note: based on the definition, the sea cannot dry up; if the flow (evaporation) of water exceeds its arrival along the rivers and due to precipitation, the shortage will be compensated by the influx through the strait. Through what strait can water get into Issyk-Kul?

Highlights

Issyk-Kul is one of the deepest lakes in the world, located in the northeast of Kyrgyzstan in the Tien Shan mountains at an altitude of 1600 meters. The length of the lake reaches 180 km, and its width varies from 30 to 60 km. The average depth of the lake is 300 meters, but in some places it reaches 700 meters. In terms of cleanliness and transparency of water, the lake is second only to Baikal. Thanks to the huge thickness of water, the lake does not have time to cool down and never freezes. About 80 rivers and tributaries flowing from the glaciers of the Tien Shan flow into Issyk-Kul. But there is no drainage from the lake, and it accumulates all the valuable minerals brought by rivers and rain.

The climate in the vicinity of Issyk-Kul is moderately maritime. The sun pleases with its appearance more often than on Black Sea coast. But there is no sweltering southern heat, and there are no frosts in winter. The average summer temperature is +24 °C, the water warms up to +22...+24 degrees. In winter, the thermometer rarely drops below 6 degrees below zero.

Hundreds of thousands of birds spend the winter or rest during migration on the ice-free lake, and nature lovers will spend many fascinating hours watching them.

Why go

Issyk-Kul provides incredible opportunities for recreation and wellness - the purest mountain-sea air, thermal springs, available all year round, healing mud and healing mineral water. For a good rest, a year-round tourist infrastructure has been created here - comfortable housing, comfortable sandy beaches, cafes, cinemas, discos, boat and catamaran rental. Guests of Issyk-Kul are offered exciting excursions to places untouched by civilization. Lovers active recreation They will be happy to take part in mountain climbing, hiking, horseback riding, and rafting. For those who want to see underwater world Dives into the lake to a depth of more than 20 meters are organized. A hang gliding flight over the beautiful Issyk-Kul will be one of the most exciting adventures of your life!

Fishermen will appreciate fishing on the lake - bream, carp, trout, tench, and carp are found here.

There are only a few places on Earth with such a unique microclimate - the air contains a huge amount of iodine ions, sea salts, ozone, and the water of Issyk-Kul is truly a magical storehouse - it contains all the useful chemical elements and microelements, which, coupled with a weak alkaline reaction, have has a powerful healing effect on the human body.

Resorts and Attractions

The northern coast of Issyk-Kul is more comfortable; guests have a lot of hotels to suit every taste and good entertainment infrastructure. The Cholpon-Ata resort is located here, mineral waters which are similar in composition to the Essentuki springs. Local silt and hydrogen sulfide muds are famous for their analgesic and antibacterial properties. Local attractions, a water park and a 70-meter Ferris wheel are worthy of attention. In the vicinity of Cholpon-Ata, take a look at the Stone Garden, where you will see the unique ruins of the city from the times of the Great Silk Road.

Not far from Cholpon-Ata there is the village of Bosteri, famous for its fair and local apricots, cherries, and honey.

For a calm family vacation The village of Bulan-Sogotu is perfect.

In the village of Korumdu you can see an ethnographic zone with ancient petroglyphs.

The shallow water beach near the village of Sara-oy will satisfy vacationers with children.

Near the village of Ak-Suu you can plunge into unique springs - although they are located next to each other, the water in them differs in composition (hydrogen sulfide and radon) and in temperature (from +32 to +50).

Fans of esotericism consider it their duty to reach the local shrine of Tanga Tash - three gigantic stones lying at a distance of a kilometer from each other.

A 5-hour drive from Issyk-Kul lies Dead Lake with healing mud and water so salty that it is impossible to drown in this reservoir. The chemical composition of the lake's water is equivalent to the water of the Dead Sea in Israel. Local muds are very effective in treating colds and skin diseases. If you come here, be prepared for the fact that the lake is not equipped in any way; on its shores there are only yurts where you will be offered dishes of national Kyrgyz cuisine. Do not try to remove water under any circumstances - this will result in a heavy fine.

To the east of Issyk-Kul there is the legendary Sentash Pass - it was here that Tamerlane ordered the construction of his famous stone heaps.

Be sure to go on an excursion to at least one of the most beautiful local gorges - Jety-Oguz with a zoological reserve and hydrogen sulfide springs; Barskhan, along which the Great passed Silk Road; Boom with a botanical reserve; Barskaun with magnificent waterfalls and a monument to Yuri Gagarin, who loved to visit these places.

Accommodation

More than two hundred sanatoriums with excellent medical facilities, boarding houses, holiday homes, and mini-hotels are available to tourists. For those who want to get as close to nature as possible and enjoy the local exoticism, traditional Kyrgyz yurts are offered for accommodation.

Useful information

• Do not purchase alcoholic drinks in markets and small shops - there is a danger of buying counterfeit products.
• During forest walks, do not eat unfamiliar berries and plants, do not pick mushrooms unknown to you.
• It is more profitable to buy souvenirs and things not in Issyk-Kul, but in the Bishkek Dordoi market.

How to get there

We fly by plane to Bishkek or Almaty, then by bus or train we go to Issyk-Kul. The journey from Bishkek will take 4 hours, from Almaty 8 hours. To cross the borders of Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, a Russian passport is sufficient.