In the Issyk Gorge, which opened in the mountains of the Zailiysky Alatau, east of Alma-Ata, there is Lake Issyk, whose sad history is known all over Kazakhstan and beyond .In the summer of 1963 .the mudflow that descended from the mountains from the Issyk River swept away the natural dam that was in the western part of the lake, causing its complete devastation in a short period of five hours .During Issyk Selo, which is recognized as one of the most powerful in the territory of the former Soviet Union, the city of Issyk was seriously damaged and many people died .
History of Lake Issyk
The age of the Issyk Lake is about 8-10 millennia, and the cause of its occurrence is considered to be a powerful earthquake, during which a large fragment of rock broke into the river, thereby partitioning it. Before the catastrophe in 1993, Lake Issyk was a very picturesque place: colorful green beaches, covered with Tien Shan firs, quiet bays, piercing blue waters - all this created an idyllic and very romantic atmosphere here.
Before its lightning-fast mudflow, the lake was 1850 m long, and its width and depth were 500 and 80 m, respectively. Today the Issyk lake is half as small: it was still restored by installing a new dam instead of a destroyed by a mudflow and installing devices for draining water. Now many people from Alma-Ata and its environs come to these places to rest.
Nature near the lake
The area of the Issyk Lake attracts those who appreciate closeness to nature, peace and quiet. Around the lake stretched rocky gorges, stretched alpine meadows and dense forests filled with many different representatives of fauna. Many local plants are listed in the Red Book: feathergrass Kungei, adonis gold, archa Cossack, Schrenk spruce, edelweiss and others.
In the reserve that is located above the lake, instead of the trees destroyed by the mudflow, young fir trees were planted, and now, when there was water, thin, very young birches grow. Together with the ruins and huge remains of rocks, they do not let forget about the tragedy that happened once. The animal world of Lake Issyk is also very interesting and diverse. In its clean and cold water lives a finicky rainbow trout that prefers spring water. In the vicinity there are more than 150 species of birds and about 30 species of animals: here you can see mountain goats and graceful lynxes, wolves, bears and many others.
Rest on the Issyk lake
The most popular months of rest on the Issyk lake are July, August and September. However, many go here all year round, because even in winter Issyk has a fascinating power. They say that the lake has a real character, its water constantly changes color depending on the weather. When the sky frowns, then the lake becomes gray, and under bright sunlight the water becomes blue, turquoise or green, and you can look at this calm beauty endlessly.
How to get here
The coordinates of the lake are: 43.253056, 77.484722. The journey time is 1, 5 hours from Almaty (about 70 km).
Itinerary: on the Kuldzha route to the city of Issyk, on the main road we move to the market, then we pass the bridge, turn at the second traffic light to the right (traffic light with an arrow). Further we go upwards, anywhere not turning off. By car you can drive almost to the lake - only the last 3-4 km you need to walk.
If there is no car, then you can reach the lake only by sightseeing bus of one of the Almaty travel agencies.
| Lake Issyk, panorama |
| Lake Issyk |
| Emerald water of Lake Issyk |
| Fog over Lake Issyk |