KGZ29: Karkyra Key Biodiversity Area

Square: 67 000 ha.
KBA category: А1, D1
Species that initiated the designation of KBA [and other globally threatened species that are present in the KBA but have not been confirmed to meet the global KBA criteria]: Sibiraea tianschanica, Anthropoides virgo.
Availability of protected areas: yes
Settlements on the territory of the KBA: Kyrkara, Tybylgaty, Chonbet, Bosharin, San Tash, Kyzyl Jar (1,2), Jergalan.
Karkyra is a village in the Tyup district of the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan. It is part of the San-Tash ayil district. According to the 2009 census, 205 people lived in the village.
Adjacent to the territory of the KBA: -




General description: Karkyra is a vast territory, including such areas as the Karkyra river basin, Zhyluusuu, Kegen, Taldy-suu, Toktayan and Santash. The path to Karkyra is not close. But it's worth going there. The territory of the Karkyry tract is more than 60,000 hectares. This place got its name thanks to migratory birds, which, like travelers along the Great Silk Road, loved to stop here to rest in the fall and spring during seasonal migrations. Translated from Kyrgyz, “karkyra” means crane. During this wonderful period, the area is filled with the cry of cranes, the birds gain strength to continue their journey. In the valley of the Karkara River, flocks of cranes (Demoiselle Crane) from South Africa stop to rest in early summer and autumn.




The Karkyra River (Kazakh: Karkara; in the upper reaches - Kokzhar, Dzhaak) is a transboundary watercourse originating in the Kungoy-Ala-Too glaciers. The length of the river is 113 km, the basin area is 1970 km², the average annual water flow at the mouth is 11.3 m³/s.
Originating in the territory of Kyrgyzstan, in the middle reaches the river serves as the Kyrgyz-Kazakh state border.




Ecology and transboundary environmental management: The Karkyra River flows through a narrow gorge, with favorable conditions for grazing livestock and growing crops, with a mountainous climate. In this regard, the area is characterized by problems of overgrazing and land degradation. Used for timber rafting and crop irrigation.




The waters of the Karkyra River and its valley are the subject of a dispute between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan initiated the exchange of border territories. The Kyrgyz opposition subsequently considered the land exchange to be unequal, since in exchange for favorable pastures of the Karkara tract they received rocky, dry lands. The Kazakh side, referring to the concluded agreement, refuses to return the received lands. Kazakhstan also opposes Kyrgyzstan’s use of the waters of the Karkyra River for irrigating fields in the Issyk-Kul region.




Attractions: This place was simply created to host events of all sizes. Thus, according to the legends of the epic “Manas” on the jailoo “Min Zhylky”, a funeral was held for Koketay, a friend of Manas.Today Karkyra, just like thousands of years ago, gathers people here. Mass events are held frequently in the summer. For example, this farmers' holiday. In honor of the workers, horse races are held, aitysh, a fair of things and products are organized, as well as various national games: kyz kuumai, tug of war, wrestling. Winter tourism is developed in the location.




The Ak-Sai travel complex is located in Karkyr itself. For accommodation in Karkyr there are yurt complexes - cozy yurts with a separate shower room and heated floors. Karkara base camp is located 88 kilometers from the village of Tyup and the main Bishkek-Karakol highway along the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.




At the moment, 3 areas have been developed for ski tours. The area opposite the Karkara base in the Chamynsai tract, as well as in the areas of the Tyup and Charkuduk gorges. The elevation difference is from 300 to 800 meters. Slopes for both beginners and expert ski touring participants. The level of snow cover, depending on the exposure, is from 60 to 120 cm. In the Karkara camp there are warm cottages, heated yurts, a bathhouse, a kitchen, and a dining room. The base has five snowmobiles to transport participants to ski areas if required. All ski areas are located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan.




Santash village. The road to the Karkyra jailoo runs through the village of Santash. This place is fraught with many legends. One of which is about the descendant of the great Genghis Khan - Tamerlane. This powerful and ruthless khan, the founder of the state of Mogolistan, owned the territories from Bukhara and Samarkand to the eastern part of the Tien Shan.




Santash is a place where stones are collected. Previously, there were two large mountains in this place. History does not say how many warriors Tamerlane had. According to legend, while making a campaign to the pass, he ordered his soldiers to collect stones in one pile, a large mountain was formed, and when he returned from the campaign, the surviving soldiers created a second mountain, so the commander believed his army. However, after excavations in the 1970s, archaeologists found that the current accumulations of stones are the remains of the ancient stone house of the Caravan Saray, where travelers stopped and refreshed themselves in order to more easily overcome the pass. Excavations showed that rooms, a kitchen, bedrooms and even a meeting room were discovered under a pile of stones. Surprisingly, the boulders were large in size, which suggests that large people with remarkable strength used to live here.




Video on the topic: About Karkyra - https://youtu.be/P13dpU6NA9E
The legend of Santash in Kyrgyz language - https://youtu.be/RG7-37ADYkY

* Based on materials https://govori.tv/longreads/karkyrasantash/karkyrasantash.html