Lake Issyk
The Ile Alatau Mountains shelter one of Kazakhstan’s most picturesque lakes – Lake Issyk. It is believed to have been formed 8-10 thousand years ago when a rock collapsed and formed a dam which later caused the lake to appear. Before 1963, the lake stretched for 1850 meters (1.2 mi). Nowadays, it is much smaller.
In 1959, Lake Issyk attracted the attention of holiday-makers and became a tourist hotspot. Its picture-perfect views were printed on postcards, and people flock to the lake to see it with their own eyes. Even Nikita Khrushchev (the leader of the Soviet Union) and Ho Chi Minh (the leader of the Vietnamese independence movement & communist leader of North Vietnam) visited the lake.
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You probably wonder what happened in 1963 and made the lake decrease in size. On July 7 of that year, an enormous mudflow swept away the dam and hit the lake. The blow was so strong that the lake flooded the nearby town of Issyk, claiming thousands of lives. The mudflow reached the Kuljinsky Tract and even forced the Issyk River to change its course. The tragedy in Issyk became one of the deadliest catastrophes in the history of the USSR.
Over time, the dam was restored and the town's infrastructure was rebuilt. The lake regained the status of a tourist destination, but the tragedy was not forgotten. On the hill near the lake, there is a monument in memory of the victims. According to the local mudflow protection agency, such a tragedy won't happen again. There are 15 gauging stations near the lake, which regularly monitor the situation and notify people in case of a mudflow threat.
Today, Lake Issyk, surrounded by mountain peaks and dense forest, attracts thousands of tourists. You can hike around the lake or just sit on the shore, admiring the beautiful view and breathing the mountain air.
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How to get there?
The distance from Almaty to the lake is about 70 km (43.5 mi). From Almaty, take the Kuljinsky Tract and drive to the town of Issyk (on some maps it's spelled as Esik). After you drive through the town, you will see an ecological post where you will need to pay a fee. Then follow the main road and don't turn anywhere.
You can get to the lake by your own car or with a tour. By the way, before you reach the town of Issyk, along the highway you will see the Issyk Historical and Cultural Reserve-Museum. Don't miss the chance to visit it. The museum exhibits finds made during the excavation of burial mounds of the Saka-Scythian period. The most significant find was the famous Golden Man. This warrior clad in magnificent gold-embroidered armor has become the national symbol of Kazakhstan.
Other tourist attractions near Lake Issyk: