Issykkul lake

Lake Issyk-Kul

Lake Issyk-Kul (also Issyk-Kul) is, undoubtedly, the main attraction of the country. Issyk-Kul is a unique place in all respects. The lake is located in the center of the vast Issyk-Kul basin, located between two huge ridges Kungei-Ala-Too and Terskey-Ala-Too, occupying almost its entire area. The height of the lake is 1700 meters above sea level, which makes Issyk-Kul the second largest high mountain lake in the world, second only to Lake Titicaca in South America. The maximum depth of the lake reaches 702 meters, which makes it one of the deepest lakes in the world. The length of the coastline of the lake is almost 700 kilometers, which clearly indicates its scale. The numerous glacial rivers descending from the slopes of the Tien Shan maintain the full flow of the lake - there are more than 80 of them.

The water in Issyk-Kul is salty and it does not freeze even in winter. Thanks to this, the lake got its name: Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyz means “hot lake”. The lake creates in the valley a kind of maritime climate in the valley, which is extremely unusual for the highlands and Central Asia as a whole. So, for example, winters here are much milder than in other regions of the country, and in summer, on the contrary, it is not so hot. The water in Issyk-Kul warms up to 20-25 degrees in summer, and therefore the lake is a favorite place for swimming for both Kyrgyzstanis and tourists from other countries.