Travelling through Kyrgyzstan, the land of nomads and horses

The Chychkan gorge is breathtakingly beautiful. — Photos: NOR AZIZA ISMAIL

“Krik krik tan?” This was the response that I got from a friend who was trying to repeat the name of the country I was going to visit. Other common responses were, “Where is it?” and “How do you spell it?”, accompanied by frowning faces. These responses boosted my excitement, knowing that I was about to visit a rare territory unknown to many, Kyrgyzstan (pronounced “kur-gis-stan”).

Located in Central Asia, it is also known as the land of the nomads and horses. From 1917 to 1991, the Kyrgyz lived in the Soviet Union as residents of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kyrgyz people became independent and founded their own country.