Let's Discover Hellenic Trace in Kyrgyzstan
About 2300 years ago, Alexander the Great freed the peoples of South Asia and Egypt from the Persians. This provided the basis for the development of democracy and the Hellenization of the culture of these regions. His work was continued by Seleucus, who created the Seleucid Empire that stretched from Asia Minor to Sogdiana and India.
Today, traces of ancient Hellenic culture remain only in the ruins of destroyed cities. It is very surprising that the descendants of those warriors, builders, and merchants who came from Europe to Asia before the new era still live here. The descendants of Seleucus I Nikator, who previously lived in Seleucia, Baghdad, and Ferghana, now live in Kyrgyzstan. Some of them have become national and epic heroes of our days. They are Emir Kurban Bek, Sayed Khan and Khan Shyrdakbek.
Greek composer and singer Yannis Kapa composed a song and music Khan Shyrdakbek.
History researcher Yuri Belyakov writes that there are two regions of Kyrgyzstan related to the history of Alexander the Great.
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After the conquest of Sogdiana, Alexander, in order to strengthen his power in the conquered territories and to protect against external attacks, ordered to build forts there - fortresses with strong garrisons, which received the names of Alexandria (16 forts in total). One of these forts was built on the territory of Kyrgyzstan in the Alabuka region, where for the first time Alexander the Great was repulsed by the Tigrahaud Sakas (wearing pointed hats), nomadic tribes who lived in the foothills of the Tien Shan, in the valleys of the Syr-Darya, Talas rivers, Chuy, Karatal, as evidenced by the ancient granite slab, preserved on the sacred mountain Archa-Mazar, on which in Greek is written “Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη”, which means “extreme Alexandria” the farthest fort in the north-east of Asia ”, where Alexander the Great managed to reach.
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Barskhan is the name of a medieval city, the ruins of which have been preserved at the mouth of the Barskoon River on the southeastern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul. Few people know that the name Barskhan is one of the most ancient in the territory of Kyrgyzstan and was recorded in written sources a little earlier than Kyiv. When Alexander the Great with his army arrived on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, where the city of Barskhan was later built. Another confirmation that the once militant detachments of the Alexander the Great stood on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul with a powerful and equipped camp is a large bronze amphora found near the coast, which, according to its artistic performance, belongs to the ancient era, and its age dates back to two and a half a thousand years.
Archa Mazar
Archa Mazar (Juniper sacred) is the site where Alexander the Great did his last battle against nomads of Tigrahauda Sakas. There is still a stone slab on Mazar, on which Alexandria Eskhata is engraved in Greek letters. Which translates as 'Alexandria ends here'. It has a rumor that the legendary golden helmet, lost by Alexander, rests somewhere here. Archa Mazar is located in the Ala Buka (White Bull) region of Kyrgyzstan. This mountain, once covered with dense thickets of juniper, has now become deserted because the locals cut them down to fire their stoves. Atifacts on the mountain were broken and carried away by the local residents.
Archa Mazar's mount was a sacred place for pagans. People from all over Central Asia come here, to pray and to receive a blessing. Women, touching the stone with their hand, ask for the welfare of the family, and the barren ones - for the children.
It is a historical place where the two cultures, Greek and Muslim is crossed.
Ancient Hellenic style buildings in Bishkek city
Kyrgyz National University
Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theater
Government of Kyrgyzstan
