Bishkek is the industrial and economical center of Kyrgyzstan. It is the country's capital and it was known as Pishpek and later, during Soviet times, as Frunze. The word 'bishkek' means a wooden plunger that is used for churning kumys (fermented mare's milk).
Bishkek is a fairly new city that was founded in 1825 as the fortress of Pishpek. Russian forces destroyed the fortress in 1860 and it was never rebuilt. The ruins can still be seen near the city's main mosque, close to Jibek jolu Street.
The Russians established a settlement at the location of the fortress and also named it Pishpek. The city was renamed Frunze in 1926. In 1991, after Kyrgyzstan became independent, the city was renamed Bishkek.
Most of the city was built after WWII and most of the streets are wide and lined with lush trees and nice houses. many streets feature irrigation channels to provide the trees with water.
Since there is a lot of industrial activity in the city, there is a lot of smog, depending on the direction of the wind.
Bishkek is laid out in a straightforward grid. The city's main street is Chüy Prospekti (Chüy Avenue), which runs in and east-west dirction and was named after the region's main river. Another important east-west street is Jibek Jolu, or Silk Road. It runs parallel to Chüy Avenue, some 2 km (1.2 mi) further north.
The main north–south street is Yusup Abdrakhmanov Street, which is still often called by its former name of Sovietskaya Street by many locals. Erkindik Boulevard, or Freedom Boulevard, also runs in a north-south direction. It starts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and runs south to the city's main railroad station of Bishkek II. Sculpture park and the museum quarter can also be found along Erkindik Boulevard.
There are several intersting sites in Bishkek.
There are several interesting museums in Bishkek, including:
Most people come to Bishkek to visit the nearby Kyrgyz Ala-Too Mountains, which rise up to 4,800 m (15,744 feet) and are permanently covered with snow. Bishkek is also a good place to stay if you want to go to the Tian Shan Mountains or Lake Issyk-Kul, as well as the overland crossing into China via the Torugart Pass. The Ala Archa National Park is also in the vicinity.
Be careful when walking around the city at night. There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Bishkek. Transportation around Bishkek is by trolleybus, bus or taxi. Taxis can be recognized from the yellow plaque with the word 'TAKCN' on the roof of the cars. Both the eastern and western bus terminals are located along Jibek Jolu.
Bishkek is in the north of Kyrgyzstan, not far from the border with Kazakhstan.
Bishkek ©Collab Media
Bishkek ©Etienne Dayer
Kiev Street ©Irene Strong
Monument ©Bakhtiyar Ibragimov
Bishkek ©Collab Media
127 Chuy Ave ©Irene Strong
State history museum ©Tim Broadbent
Bishkek ©Collab Media
Parliament building ©Seval Torun
Bishkek ©Afham Hamsyari
Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo
Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo
Bishkek ©Abai K.
Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo
Market ©Afham Hamsyari
Bishkek ©Collab Media
Bishkek ©Seval Torun
Barskoon waterfall ©Yaroslav Maltsev
International University of Kyrgyzstan ©Mike Dudin
Bishkek ©Mike Dudin
Bishkek ©Mike Dudin
Mosque ©Collab Media