Cholpon-Ata ( ky, Чолпон-Ата, ''Çolpon-Ata'', چولپون-اتا, pronounced , literally "Venus-father", the name of a mythological protecting spirit) is a
resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
town on the northern shore of
Lake Issyk-Kul in
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
with a population of 14,237 (2021).
It is the administrative center of the
Issyk-Kul District
Issyk-Kul District ( ky, Ысык-Көл району, ''Isıq-Köl rayonu'', ىسىق-كۅل رايونۇ; russian: Иссык-кульский район, ''Issyk-kuljskij rajon'') is a district of Issyk-Kul Region in north-eastern Kyrgyzstan. ...
of
Issyk-Kul Region; this district occupies most of the lake's north shore. To the west along highway A363 is
Tamchy and to the east,
Bosteri
Bosteri is a village in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan. It is part of the Issyk-Kul District. Its population was 8,908 in 2021. The town is entirely devoted to mass tourism. There are soviet-era hotels and sanitoria. To the west along highwa ...
.
The town contains numerous large and small
sanatoria
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are ofte ...
, hotels and guesthouses to accommodate the many visitors who descend upon the lake in summer. During the
Soviet era it was much frequented by vacationers brought here in organized mass tours from other parts of the USSR. Holidaymakers now usually visit on their own or in small groups and originate mainly from Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
and
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
. Attracting more demanding foreign tourists will require substantial upgrading of the existing facilities, but the location is certainly attractive. The view of the imposing alpine ranges of the
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan,, , otk, 𐰴𐰣 𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃, , tr, Tanrı Dağı, mn, Тэнгэр уул, , ug, تەڭرىتاغ, , , kk, Тәңіртауы / Алатау, , , ky, Теңир-Тоо / Ала-Тоо, , , uz, Tyan-Shan / Tangritog‘ ...
across the lake is impressive. There is a local museum and an open-air site with about 2000
petroglyphs
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
dating from 800 BC to 1200AD.
The first three
World Nomad Games were held in Cholpon-Ata, in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
Population
Transportation
The city is served by
Cholpon-Ata Airport, with flights on one commercial airline.
References
External links
Image gallery of Cholpon-AtaImage gallery of the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center
Populated places in Issyk-Kul Region
Rock art in Asia
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