Glossary
The encyclopedia of the tourist
M
Manas Mausoleum (Gumbez).
In the Talas valley, at the foot of the Manastyn Chokosu hill, stands the
ancient mausoleum - the Manas Gumbez.
There is a popular belief that the legendary hero of the Kyrgyz
epic Manas is buried here. The legend connected with his name has it that
the Manas Mausoleum, an unmatched piece in beauty and grandeur, was erected
by order of Manas' faithful wife, Kanykei. In order to preserve the treasure
buried together with Manas, Kanykei ordered that a misleading inscription
should be made to the effect that Manas’ bride had been buried on the
spot. But in fact it is only a beautiful folk fiction. The scientist revealed
the truth M. E. Mason; according to him the mausoleum was constructed by
Emir Abuki in 1334 in honor of his deceased daughter. The Manas gumbez
is a portal and dome mausoleum with a pointed interior cupola and an exterior
ribbed tent placed on the seamed drum, crowing an almost cubic shaped
chamber. The portal with a pointed entrance niche is decorated with the
columns, adorned with diverse compositions of figured belts and faced with
carved terra-cotta plates with fine ornaments and inscriptions. The design
of the gumbez is a vivid sample of the interpenetration of decorative and
applied arts in an architectural masterpiece.
The grand structure has been restored and now appears in its full
beauty. Top
Mazar Bulak (Sandyk). Taldy Bulak village, Talas
region. Talas. No guardian. Type of mazar - spring. The mazar is located
on the very top of the mountain. The front side of the mountain is snow white.
One climbs the mountain along the stream. The stream begins in the hole in
the middle of big rocks. The water in the hole does not lessen no matter
how much water is taken out, nor does it overflow. Its level is the same
in summer and wintertime; in the winter, it does not freeze. The water does
not flow here from anywhere - it appears here on its own. At the base of
the rock with the water, there is a bush of juniper full of ribbons that
are tied to the branches. Sandyk is the name of the mountain, and refers
to it being shaped like a box or chest. The name of the mazar is Mazar Bulak.
However, the mazar is also called by the name of the mountain. The depth
of the spring is close to 0.5 meters. Top
Merzbakher lake (3304 m). In the
Eastern part of Kyrgyzstan, where northern and southern arcs of Tian-Shan
join together, lies the kingdom of Alpine glaciers. Here, among the highest
peaks reaching 6000 meters lounges the enigmatic ice lake that became famous
due to one unique quality. Each year the lake completely drains and then
once again fills up with water from the nearby icebergs.
The lake was discovered in 1902 by the German geographer and mountaineer,
Gottfried Merzbacher. Icebergs swim in its transparent water with smooth
cliffs surrounding the lake. The lake can be reached after a challenging
twelve kilometer path through one of the biggest icebergs on earth, the southern
Enylchek. The length of the lake reaches four kilometers, the width, one
kilometer, and maximum depth of 60-70 meters. During the flooding of the
lake Enylchek, the flow increases to 700 cubic meters per second with an average
rate of 30 cubic meters. The water level rises to six meters. The roar of
rushing stream is heard for 5-10 kilometers around. Overflowing lasts for
7-10 days.
When icebergs melt with increasing intensity, the disappearing of water
may occur twice a year, at the end of summer and late autumn. Typically,
the flooding occurs when the water level reaches a certain level in the
lake. The lake gradually fills up with water lifting up icebergs. The ice
at the base of the dam that covers the inside channels also elevates. Streams
of water rushes within picking up ice after it. This continues until the
lake loses its reserves of water and once again covers the channels with
ice. Top
