Situated on the main road from Balykchi to Naryn, at a point where the road to Suusamyr (and on to Osh forks off from the main road to China from Issyk-Kul and the Chui valley) it marked a natural stopping point for a camp for nomads and travelers.
Most people used to simply pass through Kochkor (or Kochkorka, as it used to be known in Russian), on their way to, or from, Torugart and the Chinese border.
A mosque and an inn (Chaihana) were established. As such it has always attracted a wide variety of nationalities. As well as the Kyrgyz - Uzbeks, Uigur, Dungans and later Russian and German settlers were attracted to the plain. (Since independence - many of the other nationalities have, in fact, moved out.)
It is supposed to be the site of the first settlement in the valley.
There are some ancient barrows to the South - between Kara-Suu and Bolshevik.
In 1909 it was named Stolypin, after the Russian Prime Minister who was a major advocate and proponent of Russian expansion into, and the settlement (colonization) of Central Asia. Stolypin and the Bolsheviks, under Lenin, were violently opposed to each other's ideas and after the revolution, in 1917, the town was renamed Kochkorka - and as with many towns which have been renamed since independence - the Kyrgyz version of the name Kochkor was adopted.
The region has a mild climate and the land between the mountain ridges is ideal for agriculture. In Soviet times there were several large collective farms in the valley and Kochkor was well known for its crops - especially potatoes, which are still sought after.
If you have time and are interested, there are a couple of enterprises here which manufacture and sell traditional Kyrgyz crafts - and are likely to be cheaper than in Bishkek shops.
From Kochkor it is possible to visit Son-Kul, either by driving up towards Naryn as far as Sary-Bulak and then turning off… or by taking the Osh road and turning off to Kara-Keche before Chaek.
About 25 km from Kochkor is the Chon-Tuz complex. There is a mountain of rock salt and in Soviet times a mine was established to extract the mineral. The mine still works and salt is produced not just for use in Kyrgyzstan - but is also exported. You won«t find it on your table, however, as the rock salt is usually given to farm animals as a food supplement. Also, during the Soviet period many people would come here for treatment for Asthma and allergies. Apparently, spending time in the atmosphere inside the salt mine is thought to be very beneficial. A course of treatment involves staying in the mine for 10 hours a day for 16 days.