Many stories related to the Issyk-Kul legends. We picked up some of them for you. Issyk-Kul is a special lake since ancient times it possessed in the eyes of the local population and specified as the bewitched. Before appearing here at the end of the XIX century of the Russian settlers, practically no one was swimming or fishing in it.
The cruel khan
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful city and the terrible khan ruled them. Once, on the river bank, he saw a beautiful girl. And the khan wanted to marry her. The girl did not like the khan and resisted this. She asked the residents of the city to intercede for her, but no one cared about the fate of the unfortunate. Khan imprisoned her in the highest tower of the city until she agreed to become his wife. The girl cried with burning tears about her fate and begged the heavens to take pity on her. Her pleas were heard. The river flowing through the city overflowed the banks, the earth left underfoot. The river flooded the whole city, and the girl, the khan, and all the indifferent residents of the city died. And the lake has since been salty and very changeable. It is either quiet and gentle, like a deceased girl, now formidable and terrible, like a reminder of a tragedy, then splashes indifferent.
Beautiful Cholpon
Issyk-Kul legends about Cholpon. The tribe of Kyrgyz lived on the fertile expanses of valleys and at the foot of high snowy mountains. There lived in this tribe a young and beautiful girl Cholpon, with blue eyes like a high sky, eyes bright like stars in the sky. And two dzhigits (young man) fell in love with her – Ulan and Santash – strong, brave, ready to give their lives for the heart of the wonderful young lady. She did not know which of them to give preference to. The dzhigits began a struggle among themselves. Their clothes torn to shreds, they injured each other, blood flowed in a stream. But they cannot defeat one another. Relatives of the dzhigits also began to enter the struggle. And blood poured into the river. Cholpon does not know what to do. She does not want and can not offend either one or the other young man. Then she tore her heart out of her chest so that no one would get it, and fell dead. She now lied on a high mountain, with her face facing the rising sun, and the place in her honor is called Cholpon-Ata.
The people cried for a long time after their beloved daughter. Hot tears flooded the valley between the mountains. A lake formed, so they called this lake hot – Issyk-Kul.
Baatyrs (heroes) stopped fighting for a while. And the tribe split into two – Kungey and Terskey, they settled on the northern and southern shores of the lake.
But still can not forget the beautiful Cholpon. As soon as they meet, they swirl at each other, buzz, roar, and groan, a terrible storm breaks out on the lake – then the wind-baatyrs Ulan and Santash go towards each other, one from the east, the other from the west. They fly suddenly, bump together, agitating the lake. And it starts to storm. Then they will calm down, gain strength, and again enter into battle and cannot stop the eternal discord.
There is another number of Issyk-Kul legends, about love, beauty, and people. We will tell them next time!)
(While you can read other legends here)
Experience tours at the Issyk-Kul Lake.
