13 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Kyrgyzstan - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Kyrgyzstan

At-Bashi District, Kyrgyzstan

Tash Rabat

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

Muzey Sulayman Too

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.

Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

National Museum of Kyrgyzstan

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

Ak-Su, Kyrgyzstan

Merzbacher Lake

Glacial lake that mysteriously empties itself every year.

Burana Tower

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.

Przhevalsk, Kyrgyzstan

Dungan Mosque

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek Circus

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

See All 13 Things to Do in Kyrgyzstan See All 13 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Kyrgyzstan

Kurt

These cheese balls have fueled Central Asian nomads for centuries.

Borsok

Kyrgyzstan’s fried dough marks special occasions and "feeds" the dead.

Sumalak

A sweet and simple pudding traditionally made in a joyous, spring ritual.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Silk Road Cities of Central Asia

Explore Kyrgyzstan

Launch Map

Kyrgyzstan Leaderboard

Places Added

Join the Ranks!

Add an unusual place to Kyrgyzstan.

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Kyrgyzstan Activity

gabrielbodine wants to go to Bishkek Circus

gabrielbodine wants to go to Merzbacher Lake

gabrielbodine wants to go to National Museum of Kyrgyzstan

gabrielbodine wants to go to Monument to Yuri Gagarin

gabrielbodine wants to go to Tash Rabat

Stories
About Kyrgyzstan

A bowl of Ashlan Fu, ready to be eaten with chopsticks.

How Muslim-Chinese Food Became a Culinary Star in Kyrgyzstan

Their signature noodles are eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

by Richard Collett

December 18, 2018

An abandoned trailer in the frost of Mailuu Suu.

Life in Kyrgyzstan, 26 Years After the Collapse of the Soviet Union

Trying to see the future and reckon with the past in the former Soviet state.

by Anika Burgess

August 30, 2017