Bishkek's personality... What makes it famous? Its surroundings of Majestic mountains... the streets... the parks... the square... even canals... Bishkek's personality... it is just like that of a person - volatile, tempermental... but its features are easy to distinguish amongst thousands of others...

In June of this year, our city marked its 125-year jubilee. The Celebration of the capital's jubilee coincided with and became part of the culmination of the Year of the Kyrgyz State, widely celebrated in our country with the support of the United Nations. A seemingly small period, on a yardstick of more than 2000 years of history of the Kyrgyz people, our present capital has obtained the greatest achievements, and has played an enormous role in the fate of the people of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is located in the Chuyskoy valley, surrounded by glacier-topped mountains Ala-Too, covered in eternal snow, on a sloping plain, at a height of 700-900 meters above sea level.

It is a wonder how rapidly the city arrived at its present-day level of development. Already, in only a half a century after its birth as the capital, the city has become a modern industrial center, found its architectral look and developed urban infrastructures.

The first factory appeared exactly 120 years ago. The first telephone line has been around for a little less than 100 years; a little less than 80 years since the construction of the first railway; only 60 years ago - an Academy of Science. Today, the National Academy of Science has more than 20 scientific institutes, leading researchers in the fields of history, biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry and technical disciplines.

All this has happened in just two generations. In this short period of time, the city has, in truth, grown from essentially a clay village into a modern multifunctional metropolis, not only of great importance to the country, but to the region as well. Today it is one of the greatest, greenest and most beautiful cities in Central Asia, with an area of about 200 square kilometers. Bishkek is the industrial, financial, scientific, educational and cultural center of the republic. During the celebration of the jubilee, the president of our country, Askar Akaev, rewarded the city with the highest national award of the country, the order of the Manas, in recognition of the huge contributions of the capital of Kyrgyzstan to the development of our native land. We devote a lot of attention to education in our country. We live in a dynamic time, where only educated peopie can obtain significant success in life. Realizing its high status, the capital city has become a center of developing the primary wealth of the nation it is the workshop of education of people for the whole country. Bishkek is the city of students. There are over 20 institutes of higher education in the town, where both Kyrgyz citizens and foreigners alike study.

The capital of the Kyrgyz state became the country's hub of science and art. Here, students have created and continue to create the most incredible pieces of folk art and culture of past centuries, and contemporary art as well, contributing to the continuation and development of the people's spirit, alive for centuries since the folk epic, Manas. All the classics of literature and art of Kyrgyz culture have been created in the capital: Chingiz Aytmatov, Aaly Tokombaev, Bibisara Beyshenalieva, Turgunbay Sydykov, Tolomush Okeev, and many other prominent people of Kyrgyzstan. The treasures of Kyrgyz literature, painting, film and music are kept alive in the city's libraries, museums and theaters, giving a great charge to life and beauty, and teaching moral lessons to each new generation of Kyrgyz.

Since the origin of the sovereign Kyrgyz state, Bishkek has become the major center of international life. With honor, it hosts forums of the highest level, including the Worldwide Mountain Summit, which took place last year. All the largest international organizations and representatives of several countries of the world work here, along with several foreign states' diplomatic representation.

The city develops at a rapid rhythm, with many more foreign tourists visiting our country and Bishkek itself. The development of the tourist infrastructure is closely connected with the hope that all the world will learn more about Kyrgyzstan. We attracted the attention of the whole planet, when on the initiative of President Askar Akaev, 2003 was recognized by the UN as the year of the Kyrgyz state. Particularly this event stimulated the growth of new tourism companies, and new roads along which to travel to the historical sites of our country. Most of the largest tourism companies of Kyrgyzstan are concentrated in the capital, introducing guests of the capital and country, and to the beauty of the mountain regions, the distinctive culture and sites of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan.

If you want to visit Bishkek, your attention will be captured by a variety of excursions for any taste. Through our firm, it is possible to see all the city's sites, to visit the best night clubs, restaurants and discos, go horseback riding, see the Ala-Archa National Park, take a trip on the river Chu, experience falconry, and stay in a yurt. Primarily, the inhabitants of Kyrgyzstan have inherited spectacular nature. It would be totally short-sighted to hide such beauty. We are proud of the fact that we have mountains, beautiful Lake Issyk-Sack, monuments to antiquities and, at the same time, the young and modern city of Bishkek. We want all this grandeur to be enjoyed by all interested peopie. Even a single visit to Bishkek will make you fall in love with our town and its inhabitants!