April 12, 2021 · 1 min read
Kyrgyzstan is one of the Central Asian nations which is located in the mountain system of Tian Shan. In fact, more than 90% of its 199,900 sq km area is situated at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters, 40% at more than 3,000 meters. Its highest point is the Lenin Peak at 7,134 meters. Being one of the central Asian nations, it too had a long history of being home to many empires and a passage way for the Silk Road route.
The modern-day Kyrgyzstan started off as an nomadic settlement 2,000 years back. The first settlers were Scythians who were an Eurasian nomadic group. More Turkic influence came into the region after the arrival of G'kt'rks tribe who formed the first Turkic state in the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan. The first empire to have emerged out of it was the Uyghur Empire which after few quickly disintegrated after ruling for a century. The region saw the influx of Muslim, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, and other faiths into the region during this period.
The Mongols entered the region in the 13th Century as part of their conquest of Central Asia and brought with them Mongol culture and practices. For the next several years, Mongol philosophies got integrated into the culture. The region saw the rule of successors of the Mongol Empire which were Golden Horde, Chagatai Khanate, and Oirats. Throughout the millennia, each empire constructed their own architectures and monuments which represented their ideas, faiths, and devotion towards their religion. But due to the constant events of invasion and destruction, and partially due to the seismic activity that the region faces, much of it is in ruined form preserved in the ancient cities.
The Silk Road route that went through this region was also clinical in exchange of ideas, culture, and religious views besides trade activity. Today, Islam is the main religion followed in Kyrgyzstan by almost 90% of the population followed by orthodox Christianity. The constitution provides complete freedom of speech and you can freely practise any faith. However, minorities still face trouble doing so, but the country as a whole is moving towards secularity.
