Issyk Ata Gorge

However, the most popular features in the gorge are the hot springs said to have healing properties that help treat a number of diseases.  There’s a resort nearby as well as a 2^nd – 7^th century stone carving of a Buddha healer, further contributing to the belief that the spring has true healing powers that were recognized even centuries ago.

Several legends surround the hot springs in Issyk Ata Gorge.  It’s said that there was once a young woman that bathed in the springs every day and while her friends grew old, she remained young thanks to the water’s miraculous powers.  There was also an Uzbek shaman that lived as a hermit near the springs for years after the death of her family that was famous for her healing capabilities.  The reputation of the waters and the people surrounding them has attracted both Turkic nomads and Russian colonialists over the course of history and continue to draw people today.