Karakol's History

Until well into the 20th century, Karakol was a town at the edge of the world. Initially an isolated Russian military outpost, it grew in the 19th century after explorers came to map the mysterious peaks and valleys separating Karakol from China. Following the explorers came rich merchants and professionals, whose intricately carved one and two storey wooden cottages can be see throughout the town. In the 1880s Karakol's population swelled once again, with an influx of Dungans, Chinese Muslims fleeing persecution in their homeland. Even today Karakol retains a sizeable Dungan community. Up until this point, the town had been named 'Karakol' ('black wrist' in Kyrgyz, perhaps a reference to the hands of its original settlers who were Russian agriculturalists). But in 1888 when the Russian explorer, Przhevalsky died here of typhoid, whilst preparing for an expedition to Tibet, it was renamed Przhevalsk, in his honour. After local protests, Lenin gave the town its original name back in 1921 - a decision reversed by Stalin in 1939. Karakol then remained Przhevalsk until the fall of the Soviet Union. Today, this town associated with isolation and exploration retains a palpable frontier atmosphere. The feeling of discovery and adventure is particularly acute for foreign visitors, who were strictly forbidden in Przhevalsk (and throughout the Issyk-Kul region) in Soviet times.

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