Suyab, Kyrgyzstan

Suyab or ancient settlement of Ak-Beshim is one of the most significant points on the Silk Road. In the days of early Middle Ages Suyab was considered the major city in Central Asia, the capital West Turkic Khaganate and the gate for trade caravans.

Caravans following Chuya line went from Samarkand to Tashkent. Then they traveled along the foothills of the Kyrgyz ridge to get to the Chuy Valley. There was a chain of cities from the West to the East where caravans stopped. The largest of them were Navaket and Suyab. After Suyab past Boom gorge merchants reached the jewel of Kyrgyzstan – Lake Issyk-Kul, and then went further to China and the Far East.

Ancient Suyab is going to become the full centre of tourism in Kyrgyzstan.  The unique cult monuments of Suyab such as the ruins Nestorian church (the most ancient Christian monument in Central Asia) and Buddhist temples inherited from medieval governors are under.