On the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, not far from Karakol town, there is the picturesque Barskoon gorge. Since ancient times, there has been an opinion that the name Barskoon comes from the great khan of the ancient Kyrgyz, Barshan. In ancient times, an ancient city on the Great Silk Road was named in honor of the famous ruler. Long caravans once passed through this place, loaded with all sorts of goods: jewelry, silk, utensils, hammered products, works by various craftsmen in wood, iron, copper, steel, tin, silver and gold. The vast territory is rich in gold reserves, and the Kumtor gold mine is located nearby. Truly, a gold-bearing place both literally and figuratively. And gold is mined and the region is rich in resources of crystal mountain waters, coniferous forests, juniper expanses, wild herbs and mountain flowers. It is not for nothing that the inhabitants of the outskirts are proud of these lands, and they take care of them - Barskoon has a rich history. The Barskoon settlement is now located on this site. The white-bearded elders can also tell about the capital-state of Barshan and about the fact that a descendant of the rulers of Barshan was born and grew up here a long time ago - the famous Mahmud al-Kashgari, who made a huge contribution to the study of Turkic languages and created many valuable works that are of great interest to scientists around the world today.


Mahmoud Al-Kashgari
The famous Central Asian scientist Mahmoud al-Kashgari, the author of the first comparative dictionary of Turkic languages, lived and worked in this area in ancient times. The great Central Asian scientist, a native of the city of Barshan, the grandson of the emir of this famous and populous city, through which the Great Silk Road passed. The work of Mahmoud al-Kashgari is still of great value to scientists, ethnographers, philologists and researchers of Turkology.
Any resident of this area will also tell you that the first cosmonaut of the world, Yuri Gagarin, was recuperating here in the sanatorium.


Yuri Gagarin
It is no coincidence that the first cosmonaut of the world, Yuri Gagarin, came to Barskoon to restore his strength after the legendary flight into space and received treatment in a specially built sanatorium for cosmonauts here. A bust erected in the distant Soviet era, in the era when our republic was part of the USSR, testifies in his honor. Yuri Gagarin made his first flight into outer space. The cosmonaut's flight was a breakthrough in world science and opened a new era of humanity. The 108 minutes of flight that Yuri Gagarin spent in space and his successful landing on planet Earth forever changed the course of world history.
Nearby there is another ancient monument - a truck on a pedestal - the legacy of the Soviet era reminds of many things that have irrevocably gone into the distant past, and nature, as a silent witness, managed to preserve the monuments of a bygone era. Mountains and a gorge with a coniferous forest and a river carrying its waters along a winding path are eternal.

It is worth coming here in winter, summer, autumn, and spring because Barskoon is wonderful at any time of the year and every time reveals the Barskoon gorge in its unique outfit. In spring, nature awakens and everything blooms around, the fragrant aroma of mountain herbs and flowers spreads through the valley, buds on the trees swell, and the gentle rays of the spring sun illuminate the gorge from all sides. The ever-green Tien Shan fir trees stand majestically… The tops of coniferous trees, resting against the azure sky, form a natural shaggy tracery on the tops of the mountains, as if they decorate the already beautiful mountains of Barskoon. This area is so that every visitor, tourist or wandering local shepherd can enjoy the wonderful natural landscape, breathe in the healing air of coniferous trees, admire the beauty of the gorge. Waterfalls are a special sight, and there are many of them here and each is magnificent in its own way, and in winter small waterfalls freeze and form figures of bizarre animals. The waters of the largest waterfall flow into the mountain river Barskoon of indescribable beauty. The fabulous place attracts the attention of hundreds of tourists and travelers from all over the world, and Kyrgyzstan people themselves come here to visit waterfalls, wander through the forest, and hike the mountains. Anyone who has visited Barskoon will definitely want to come here more than once.