The Burana tower is located 80 kilometers from Bishkek, not far from Shamsi and Kegety gorges. This is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Kyrgyz Repblic. Construction of Burana dates back to the 10th -11th centuries.
The tower is built of burnt bricks and juniper beams. Initially, the tower was twice as high, but its upper part fell during an earthquake. The height of the tower now is 21.7 meters; its diameter is 9 meters.
There is a “rock garden” near the tower, where “balbals” - ancient tombstones, ancient millstones, and stones with rock carvings (petroglyphs) can be found.
Burana was the main tower of the ancient city of Balasagun, the capital of the Turkic-speaking state of the Karakhanids.
