Cholpon-Ata ( ky, Чолпон-Ата, ''Çolpon-Ata'', چولپون-اتا, pronounced , literally "Venus-father", the name of a mythological protecting spirit) is a
resort town on the northern shore of
Lake Issyk-Kul
Issyk-Kul (also Ysyk-Köl, ky, Ысык-Көл, lit=warm lake, translit=Ysyk-Köl, , zh, 伊塞克湖) is an endorheic lake (i.e., without outflow) in the Northern Tian Shan mountains in Eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the seventh-deepest lake in ...
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. T ...
of
Issyk-Kul Region
Issyk-Kul Region ( ky, Ысык-Көл облусу, Ysyk-Köl oblusu; russian: Иссык-Кульская область, Issyk-Kulskaya oblast) is one of the regions of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Karakol. It is surrounded by Almaty Region, Kaz ...
; this district occupies most of the lake's north shore. To the west along highway A363 is
Tamchy
Tamchy ( ky, Тамчы, ''Tamçı'', تامچى; russian: Тамчы, ''Tamčy'', previously Тамчи, ''Tamči'') is a village in the Issyk-Kul District of the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan. Its population was 2,412 in 2021.
The name used ...
and to the east,
Bosteri.
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 often ...
, hotels and guesthouses to accommodate the many visitors who descend upon the lake in summer. During the
Soviet era
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
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,