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Bishkek
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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.



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Images

Bishkek ©Collab Media
Bishkek ©Collab Media

Bishkek ©Etienne Dayer
Bishkek ©Etienne Dayer

Kiev Street ©Irene Strong
Kiev Street ©Irene Strong

Monument ©Bakhtiyar Ibragimov
Monument ©Bakhtiyar Ibragimov

Bishkek ©Collab Media
Bishkek ©Collab Media

127 Chuy Ave ©Irene Strong
127 Chuy Ave ©Irene Strong

State history museum ©Tim Broadbent
State history museum ©Tim Broadbent

Bishkek ©Collab Media
Bishkek ©Collab Media

Parliament building ©Seval Torun
Parliament building ©Seval Torun

Bishkek ©Afham Hamsyari
Bishkek ©Afham Hamsyari

Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo
Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo

Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo
Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo

Bishkek ©Abai K.
Bishkek ©Abai K.

Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo
Bishkek ©Vigor Poodo

Market ©Afham Hamsyari
Market ©Afham Hamsyari

Bishkek ©Collab Media
Bishkek ©Collab Media

Bishkek ©Seval Torun
Bishkek ©Seval Torun

Barskoon waterfall ©Yaroslav Maltsev
Barskoon waterfall ©Yaroslav Maltsev

International University of Kyrgyzstan ©Mike Dudin
International University of Kyrgyzstan ©Mike Dudin

Bishkek ©Mike Dudin
Bishkek ©Mike Dudin

Bishkek ©Mike Dudin
Bishkek ©Mike Dudin

Mosque ©Collab Media
Mosque ©Collab Media




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