In northern Kyrgyzstan, there is a large lake known as Lake Issyk-Kul. There are a few legends surrounding this lake that we will take time to share with all of you in this week's update!
In the first legend, there once was a cruel ruler who fell in love with a beautiful woman. He ordered his servants to kidnap her from her village and bring her to his palace. However, the woman was already in love with a shepherd, so she rejected the khan's love. Riding a magic horse named Tulpar, the young shepherd raced to the palace to save her. The khan, enraged, sent his best warriors to go after them. They managed to bring the girl back to the palace, but she chose death over captivity, so jumped from her dungeon window. After her death, clear water from the mountains rushed to the valley where his palace was and overwhelmed it with a great flood. In its place, Lake Issyk-Kul was formed. Beneath this lake is a ruined monastery with unknown origins, but some believe there might be a connection between it and the khan.
Another legend focuses on the great conqueror, Amir Timur. He ordered every warrior to place a stone every time they passed Lake Issyk-Kul. Many warriors followed his orders diligently, leading to the formation of a stone ridge named Santash on the eastern side of Lake Issyk-Kul.
A third legend states Genghis Khan, whose tomb's location is unknown, may be connected to Issyk-Kul. Some Kyrgyz aksakals believe "The Great Universe Shaker" was buried beside Lake Issyk-Kul.
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Did you find this interesting? Please let us know in the comments!
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