Colors of Bishkek

Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is just a 30-minute plane ride from Almaty. Like Almaty, it sits at the base of the Tian Shan Mountain ranges.

View of the mountains from the hotel room.

I used a suite upgrade certificate for our 7-night mattress run at the centrally located Hyatt Regency Bishkek. The bathroom itself is the size of our tiny room at the Holiday Inn Express in Almaty.

Unlike the more cosmopolitan Almaty, Bishkek appears more regional infrastructure wise. The young westernized Kazakhs in Almaty are replaced by the older Kyrgyz wearing more traditional, as well as Muslim, garb. Ironically, the buildings, including the National Museum, in Bishkek are much more modern.

One of the significant and pivotal historical events that occurred in ancient day Kyrgyzstan was the Battle of Talas in 751, during which the Chinese army of 100k soldiers fought against the Arabs and lost. This battle led to the spread of Islam in Central Asia and, adding insult to injury, the capture of expert Chinese paper and silk makers resulted in these techniques making its way to the West contributing to a technological and intellectual revolution.

Ever since our trip to Istanbul, I’ve always been a fan of mosques, specifically in their beautifully decorated domes.