Song Kul Lake - Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and now Kyrgyzstan. I've three other cards from this country but this is the 1st written and stamped from there.

It came with a bit of mystery, because I had no idea who sent it but Eric ended up saying that he was the responsible for this surprise. 

Song-Kul Lake is located in the north-west of the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan. This is the second largest and one of the most beautiful alpine lakes to visit in Kyrgyzstan. Almost every guide book describes Song kul lake as a tourist highlight and a must visit on any Kyrgyzstan itinerary. Its the perfect Kyrgyz picture of mountains, yurts and horses and the perfect place to experience the life and culture of the Kyrgyz nomads.

Song kul lake is rather difficult to access which protects it from being overrun by tourists. The alpine lake lies in a remote valley above 3000 meters and is surrounded by high mountain pastures. The fertile marshlands make it a favourite destination for the nomadic Kyrgyz herdsmen to let their livestock graze in the green meadows.

The yurts that stand on the shores of Song kul lake are not only for the Kyrgyz nomads though. Although it is still an off the beaten path destination when backpacking Kyrgyzstan, tourism is increasing every year. The Kyrgyz nomads are happy to welcome visitors and most of the yurt camps are now solely set up for this purpose.

Because of the high altitude the tourist season is a short one. Winters are harsh and long and it can snow any time of the year, even in summer. Therefore most yurt camps will not open their tents before June. - in: https://www.backpackadventures.org

RU-3928000

This card is an official from Russia, it was sent from there but the beautiful landscape on the card is located in Kyrgyzstan!! The 5281 meters high Karakol peak is part of the Tien Shan mountain range.

Photo by Daniil Korzhonov

RU-3928000, sent by Anna.

Tien Shan lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert and directly north of the Tarim Basin in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Uzbekistan.

Tien Shan is one of the highest mountain kingdoms in the world. This mountainous area, a large part of which is located in Kyrgyzstan, is one of the most inaccessible areas in the world. They're, without doubt, the least visited mountain ranges in the world, yet one which offer some of the most magnificent landscapes, picturesque rural scenes, exhilarating trekking and genuine hospitality to be found anywhere on the planet.

Saimaly-Tash Petroglyphs - Kyrgyzstan

Another card from a Central Asia country, my 2nd from Kyrgyzstan. These petroglyphs are on Unesco's Tentaive List.

© 2002, Rarity firm Ltd.

Situated high up in the Ferghana mountain range, Saimaly-Tash is a grandiose natural sanctuary, containing one of the biggest collections of rock pictures not only in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia but also in the whole world. About 10,000 stones with pictures have been identified, the earliest dating back to the third to early second millennia BC, that is to the Eneolithic and Bronze Ages. Saimaly-Tash is remarkable in that it has been in continuous use as a sacred site by the populations of Tien?Shan and Pre-Ferghana from the third millennium BC until the middle ages, and even until the present day. It is thus a rich source of knowledge about the everyday life, mentality, history and culture of the ancient tribes of hunters, cattlebreeders and first peasants in Central Asia, about the development of their spiritual culture, their religious beliefs and their worship of mountains, nature, totems and solar-cosmic images. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1512/

Chatyr Kul Lake - Kyrgyzstan

This beautiful card is my 1st card from Kyrgyzstan :D It was sent from Taiwan by "mooncastle". The card shows a yurt camp at Chatyr Kul Lake.

Kyrgyzstan is located in Central Asia and is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.

Chatyr-Kul is an endorheic alpine lake in the Tian Shan mountains in At-Bashi District of Naryn Province; it lies in the lower part of Chatyr-Kul Depression near the Torugart Pass border crossing into China. The name of the lake means “Celestial Lake” in Kyrgyz.