Jety Oguz
Jety Oguz = «Seven Bulls».
About 25 km South West of Karakol is one of the most picturesque
gorges. The narrow entrance into the Gorge is formed by high red rock formations
of the most fascinating shapes.
It is famous for the thundering water falls, fancy rocks, coniferous
woods and sub-alpine and alpine meadows; it is a nature reserve.
On the bank of a turbulent river, the resort zone of Jety Oguz is
situated, with its hot, highly mineralized healing springs, surrounded
by emerald meadows, forests of slender Tjen- Shan spruces and wild rocks
polished by winds. Beautiful fir tree forests stretch out up the gorge
for several kilometers.
About 5 km south of the Jety Oguz sanatoria, is "Valley of the flowers"
opens out which is ablaze with colour from May — when there are multitudes
of poppies — throughout early summer.
There is a legend about how the rock formation. A Kyrgyz khan stole
the wife of another, who sought advice from a «wise man» about
how he could reap his revenge. The wise man was reluctant to give advice
but in the end relenting telling the khan that he should kill his wife
and give the body to his rival — «Let him own a dead wife, not a
living one». Theahn made his plans and at a funeral feast arranged
to sit next to his stolen wife and as the last of the nine bulls were being
slaughtered as part of the ritual, he took out his knife and stabbed her.
From her heart gushed blood and other fluids which carried away the bulls
down the valley and where they came to rest they became these cliffs.
As you approach the valley, you pass another rock formation which
resembles a «broken heart» and legend says that this is the
heart of a beautiful woman who died of a broken heart after two suitors
killed each other fighting over her.
These two rock formations have almost become symbols of the Issyk
Kul region and are favorite images for photographs and paintings.
In the village there is an ancient cemetery and some barrows (burial
mounds).
Not far up the valley is the Jety Oguz sanatoria (at a height of
2,100 metres above sea level), built in 1932. Apparently there are repted
to be petroglyphs here — but no-one seems to know exactly where. There
are often yurts here which can offer accommodation.
In the valley there is the Jety Oguz State Zoological reserve.
Nearby is the village of Jele Debe — where Eagle hunting demonstrations
can be organized.
Kyrgyzstan
