Holy placesare called mazars by the Kyrgyz, and this is not necessarily a grave or tomb. The word mazar is of Arabic origin and literally means "a place that isvisited". The object of pilgrimage (holy place) is usually the grave of a Muslim saint or a place of power, which in the minds of people has a sacred character. Locals and pilgrims often attribute miraculous properties to such aplace: healing and fulfillment of desires. Such holy places can also be ancientstones, lakes, springs and even trees.
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Pilgrims to holy places are sure that they are patronized by the spirits of their ancestorsand their native land.
The sacred mountain Sulaiman-Too rises above the southern capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, the city of Osh, located at the intersection of important routes of the Silk Road. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For more than one and a half millennia, Sulaiman-Too has been a beacon for travelers who considered the mountain sacred. On its five peaks and mountain slopes are numerous ancient places of worship and caves with rock carvings, as well as rebuilt mosques from the 16th century. On the mountain, 101 places with rock carvings of people, animals and various geometric shapes are officially registered.
Many pilgrims come to Sulaiman-Too mountain. It is believed that here people are cured of infertility, pain in the head and back, and receive a blessing for a long life.
The worship of Sulaiman-Too combines pre-Islamic and Islamic beliefs, that is, the mountain has been worshiped without exaggeration for several millennia.
The Saimaluu-Tash tract is an open-air temple located high in the mountains. Here is one of the world's largest galleries of rock paintings. Petroglyphs of Saimaluu-Tash date from the 2nd millennium BC to the 8th century AD.
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The ancient inhabitants of the Ferghana Valley considered this place sacred.
Tashtar-Ata is a mountain shrouded in secrets in the Chui region. It is a man-made hill of huge boulders. People call it the mountain of salvation. Pilgrims come here to cleanse the soul. According to legend, the mountain saves from all troubles and diseases.
According to legend, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad - Shah-Jarir was attacked when he came with an army to preach Islam among the fire worshipers. But he was killed along with 2700 of his soldiers. They were buried by Shah-Jarir's servant named Bulan, who turned white from the horror she experienced. Since then, this place has been called Safed-Bulan (white Bulan). A mazar (mausoleum) was erected over the grave of the servant, where only women can enter and ask Safed-Bulan for blessings. Safed-Bulan is located in the Djalal-Abad region.
Manzhyly is a set of springs on the southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul. In the Kyrgyz epic "Manas" this place is mentioned as sacred. It is believed that each spring has a unique energy and taste and cures various diseases.
Christian tradition says that after the Apostle Matthew died, his followers covered the body. According to one version, the relics of the saint rested on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. It is believed that the monastery where St. Matthew was buried eventually went under water in the area of the Kurmentinskaya Bay of the village of Tyup.
Rapid water stream flows down a steep rock from a one-and-a-half-meter hole at a height of 12-15 meters in Abshir-Sai Valley, 70 kilometers from Osh city.
The valley lies at an altitude of 1,500-2,000 meters above the sea level. To get to the waterfall, you need to walk three kilometers from the mouth of the river running along the floor of the gorge.
Water of the waterfall is good for human health; it contains mineral salts. This water is considered holy by the locals. According to legend, once upon a time an unknown wanderer struck the rock with his staff and milk poured out of it. Pilgrims from miles around began to come here, the place was considered holy. But then people stopped revering it and the milk turned into water again.
