Talas, Kyrgyzstan

Talas is a sma town in northwastren Kyrgyzstan, locatit in the Talas River valley atween twa imposing muntain ranges. Its geographical location is 42°31′N 72°14′E an its population is 32,538 (as o 1999). It is the admeenistrative heidquarters o Talas Province. The toun wis foondit bi East Slavic settlers in 1877. To the south is the Besh-Tash (five rocks) valley with the Besh-Tash National Park. Owerview Its economy traditionally orientit towards the auncient ceety o Taraz (ance named Talas an Dzhambul) in present day Kazakhstan, the Talas valley haes suffered severely frae the imposition o rigid border controls bi Kazakhstan follaein the demise o the Soviet Union, as transport an trade links tae the rest o Kyrgyzstan are nou constrained bi the formidable muntains separatin it frae the Chuy Valley an Bishkek. The anerlie motorable road tae Bishkek an the rest o the kintra rises tae a heicht o mair nor 3500 m abuin sea level ower the Ötmök Pass (closed in winter) afore descendin in mony turns tae the Chuy Valley an Bishkek. Manas The meethical Kyrgyz naitional hero, Manas, is said tae hae been born in the Ala Too muntains in Talas oblast. A few kilometers ootside Talas lies a mausoleum, supposedly that o Manas, cried the Kümböz Manas. Housomeivver, the inscription on its richly-decoratit facade dedicates it tae "...the maist glorious o women Kenizek-Khatun, the dochter o the Emir Abuka". Legend explains that Manas' wife Kanikey ordered a deliberately false inscription in order tae mislead her husband's enemies an prevent the desecration o his body. The biggin, kent as "Manastin Khumbuzu" or "The Ghumbez of Manas", is thocht tae hae been built in 1334. It nou contains a museum dedicatit tae the epic. A ceremonial mound an aa lies nearbi. Sports The toun haes a bandy club. References Brief information in English Archived 2004-12-31 at the Wayback Machine Kyzlasov I.L., "Runic Scripts of Eurasian Steppes", Moscow, Eastern Literature, 1994, ISBN 5-02-017741-5 Freemit airtins The Mausoleum o Manas Archived 2009-08-05 at the Wayback Machine Talasmost.kg: A new web site for former Talas residents and anyone interested in the city (in Russian) Archived 2009-08-19 at the Wayback Machine The web site of the citizen radio Radiomost in Talas (in Russian) Archived 2013-06-24 at the Wayback Machine