The Karakol Kaleidoscope

A Cathedral that rose from the ashes of Communism. A mosque built without using a single nail. Karakol is a marvel of history

- KUNAL BHATIA AND SHUVAJIT PAYNE

anywhere else in the country."

Karakol is a melting pot of communities, some familiar like Russians and Uzbeks, and some less so—Tatars, Dungans, Uighurs, Kalmyks, and others.

Take, for instance, the Przhevalsky Museum, which displays a vast collection of journals, maps, memorabilia, and eerily still taxidermy animals collected by Russian explorer Nikolay Przhevalsky.

On a mission to reach Lhasa in Tibet, he ended up traversing Central Asia, documenting its geography, flora, and fauna.

Ramil Samatkulov, an expert in Kyrgyz architectural history, shares, "The pastel blue building's pediment and columns might showcase European neo-classical design, but the eagle sculpture above and the pair of running argali (wild mountain sheep) on the portico below, root it firmly in the highlands of this region."

Another iconic edifice is the Holy Trinity Cathedral, with weather-worn wooden exteriors, gilded domes, and a tumultuous past.