Kyrgyzstan is a rugged Central Asian country along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean. The Tian Shan Mountains, which surround the old caravan route and dominate the country, are home to snow leopards, lynx and sheep. In the south, the millennia-old city of Osh has a huge, busy bazaar that was a stop on the Silk Road.
Bishkek
Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, borders Central Asia’s Tian Shan range. It’s a gateway to the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Mountains and Ala Archa National Park, with glaciers and wildlife trails. The city’s arts scene encompasses the monumental State Museum of Fine Arts and the colonnaded Opera and Ballet Theater. The vast, central Ala-Too Square Features the Manas monument, honoring the hero of the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas.
The climate is cold and temperate. The rain in Bishkek falls mostly in the winter, with relatively little rain in the summer. The average annual temperature in Bishkek is 10.4 Degree Centigrade. The average annual rainfall is 427 mm.