Aravan, Kyrgyzstan
Encyclopedia
Aravan is a town in the Ferghana Valley, in the Aravan District
of Osh Province
, Kyrgyzstan
, Central Asia
about 25 km west of Osh
. It is the capital of the Aravan District
.Located on the Silk Road
. Nearby are the Celestial Horses of Aravan, carved on a cliff face perhaps in the 1st century BC. They are thought to represent the 'blood-sweating horses' sought by the Chinese of the Han
dynasty
. The petroglyphs have an important role in regional folklore and have become a pilgrimage site for Muslims in the Ferghana valley. There is a Sufi shrine. The Chil-Ustun
cave system is 4 km away in the hills above the Aravan and Ak-Buura rivers. There is a similar cave system 20 km away. Neither is easily accessible.
.
The petroglyph
s, who date from the first century BC, are carved on a near-vertical rock face next to a cemetery and represent solar symbols and the legendary Ferghana horses which were much sought after by Chinese
emperor Wu-Di in the second century BC. The site was archaeologically researched from the 1930s to the 1980s, and excavations at the foot of the rock produced evidence of animal sacrifice sites. Today, the horse carvings and nearby spring are still a local pilgrimage
site and there is a small mosque
. As a matter of fact, there are far more modern-day graffiti
than ancient petroglyphs on the rock since a local superstition considers it as a luckbringer to have your name eternalized on the rocks.
There are more petroglyphs near the Camp Charbak
.
Chil-Ustun
Chil-Ustun
cave is located on the south-west of Kyrgyzstan
, in 3,5 km from Aravan settlement. Nearby, in the limestone hills that make up the foothills of the Ak Bura and Aravan river basins lie the Chil-Ustun cave system that is named after the stalactites that can be found here, (Chil-Ustun is Tajik and means 40 columns).
A huge entrance in the cave in the form of arc with a height of 15 m and a length of basement 25 m is located in the rocky group on almost plumb wall at the altitude of 1100 m. The cave consists of 3 halls of different volume, connected with corridors and narrow man holes.
Tiff accumulated forms stalactite
s. Wandering kars of quaint forms of different colors from white and cream to dark-brown create a unique fairy interior of the hall. The length of the cave is 380 m.
Dangi Canyon
To the South of Aravan
is the Dangi Canyon, which is dissected by the Aravan River. In the canyon
are a series of caves. The main one is Azhiadar-Unkur
and Tuya-Moyun Mountain.
Football Club FC Ak-Zhol
Aravan's football team is FC Ak-Zhol
.But the club withdrew from Kyrgyzstan League
due to political unrest in April 2010
.
The largest mosque
in Aravan. Was established in 2006 with help of money from Saudi Arabia. Part of the mosque was burned shortly after its establishment. The mosque was restored again within a short time with the help of people Aravan and was opened for worship.
Aravan District
Aravan is a raion of Osh Province in south-western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Aravan.The population in 2009 is 106,134 .Aravan district's area 1340 km.sq. The smallest district in Osh Province:...
of Osh Province
Osh Province
Osh Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh. It is bounded by Jalal-Abad Province, Naryn Province, Xinjiang, China, Tajikistan, Batken Province and Uzbekistan.-Geography:...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
about 25 km west of Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
. It is the capital of the Aravan District
Aravan District
Aravan is a raion of Osh Province in south-western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Aravan.The population in 2009 is 106,134 .Aravan district's area 1340 km.sq. The smallest district in Osh Province:...
.Located on the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. Nearby are the Celestial Horses of Aravan, carved on a cliff face perhaps in the 1st century BC. They are thought to represent the 'blood-sweating horses' sought by the Chinese of the Han
Han
-China:* China , an abbreviation or adjectival modifier for things Chinese* Han Chinese , the dominant majority ethnic group of China and overseas Chinese...
dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
. The petroglyphs have an important role in regional folklore and have become a pilgrimage site for Muslims in the Ferghana valley. There is a Sufi shrine. The Chil-Ustun
Chil-Ustun
Chil-Ustun cave is a geological protected area in vicinity of Aravan, Kyrgyzstan. The main cave of Chil Ustun is 380 meters long and consists of three halls connected by narrow, winding corridors. The largest hall is 85 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 20 meters high...
cave system is 4 km away in the hills above the Aravan and Ak-Buura rivers. There is a similar cave system 20 km away. Neither is easily accessible.
Celestial Horses of Aravan
The Celestial Horses site itself is just near the local hospital when you are about to enter Aravan, on your right hand side when coming from OshOsh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
.
The petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s, who date from the first century BC, are carved on a near-vertical rock face next to a cemetery and represent solar symbols and the legendary Ferghana horses which were much sought after by Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
emperor Wu-Di in the second century BC. The site was archaeologically researched from the 1930s to the 1980s, and excavations at the foot of the rock produced evidence of animal sacrifice sites. Today, the horse carvings and nearby spring are still a local pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
site and there is a small mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. As a matter of fact, there are far more modern-day graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
than ancient petroglyphs on the rock since a local superstition considers it as a luckbringer to have your name eternalized on the rocks.
There are more petroglyphs near the Camp Charbak
Camp Charbak
Charbak was Young Pioneer camp in the Soviet Union in the town of Aravan.There were 8 buildings, including theater, two swimming pools, one stadium and playgrounds for other activities....
.
Chil-UstunChil-UstunChil-Ustun cave is a geological protected area in vicinity of Aravan, Kyrgyzstan. The main cave of Chil Ustun is 380 meters long and consists of three halls connected by narrow, winding corridors. The largest hall is 85 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 20 meters high...
Chil-UstunChil-Ustun
Chil-Ustun cave is a geological protected area in vicinity of Aravan, Kyrgyzstan. The main cave of Chil Ustun is 380 meters long and consists of three halls connected by narrow, winding corridors. The largest hall is 85 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 20 meters high...
cave is located on the south-west of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, in 3,5 km from Aravan settlement. Nearby, in the limestone hills that make up the foothills of the Ak Bura and Aravan river basins lie the Chil-Ustun cave system that is named after the stalactites that can be found here, (Chil-Ustun is Tajik and means 40 columns).
A huge entrance in the cave in the form of arc with a height of 15 m and a length of basement 25 m is located in the rocky group on almost plumb wall at the altitude of 1100 m. The cave consists of 3 halls of different volume, connected with corridors and narrow man holes.
Tiff accumulated forms stalactite
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
s. Wandering kars of quaint forms of different colors from white and cream to dark-brown create a unique fairy interior of the hall. The length of the cave is 380 m.
Dangi CanyonDangi CanyonTo the South of Aravan is the Dangi Canyon, which is dissected by the Aravan River. In the canyon are a series of caves.*Fersman cave*Surprise cave*Victorious cave*Azhiadar-Unkur*Large Baritovaya...
To the South of AravanAravan
For the city in Kyrgyzstan, see Aravan, KyrgyzstanAravan was a ruler of Armenia, a member of the Albiburlian family....
is the Dangi Canyon, which is dissected by the Aravan River. In the canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
are a series of caves. The main one is Azhiadar-Unkur
Azhiadar-Unkur
Azhiadar-Unkur near the Dangi Canyon in Aravan, Kyrgyzstan.The cave consists of a large tunnel which goes more than 120 metres into the limestone mountain and is notable for the fact that it is home to Kyrgyzstan ’s only colony of bats...
and Tuya-Moyun Mountain.
Football Club FC Ak-ZholFC Ak-ZholFC Ak-Zhol is a Kyrgyzstan's football club based in Aravan, Kyrgyzstan that plays in the top division in Kyrgyzstan League that controls bye Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic ....
Aravan's football team is FC Ak-ZholFC Ak-Zhol
FC Ak-Zhol is a Kyrgyzstan's football club based in Aravan, Kyrgyzstan that plays in the top division in Kyrgyzstan League that controls bye Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic ....
.But the club withdrew from Kyrgyzstan League
Kyrgyzstan League
Kyrgyzstan League is the top division of the Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic. It was created in 1992.Teams get relegated to the Kyrgyzstan League Second Level.- Kyrgyzstan League Clubs :*Abdysh-Ata *Alga *FC Alay...
due to political unrest in April 2010
2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots were clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, primarily in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, in the aftermath of the ouster of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7. It is part of the larger 2010 Kyrgyzstan crisis. Violence that...
.
Aravan's Mosque
The largest mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Aravan. Was established in 2006 with help of money from Saudi Arabia. Part of the mosque was burned shortly after its establishment. The mosque was restored again within a short time with the help of people Aravan and was opened for worship.