Kyrgyzstan: Issyk-Kul Basin and Open-Air Museum

The area of the Issyk-Kul basin has been attracting scholars of the world for a long time. The ancient archaeological sites here are dated to the Paleolithic period, some findings refer to the Mesolithic and early Neolithic periods, a substantial layer is characteristic of the late Neolithic period and Bronze Age. Many archaeological sites remained untouched from the period when Turkish tribes were in power in the area. Among the medieval sites the submerged ruins of "Timur's Palace" are the most well known. In the Middle Ages the development of the region was greatly influenced by lively trade between East and West and several branches of the Great Silk Road went through the Issyk-Kul basin...