Karakol is a major city on the south eastern edge of Issyk-Kul Lake and the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan.
Dungan Mosque
The Dungan mosque with distinctive Chinese influence was built by the Dungan community, the Chinese Muslim refugees who fled persecution in their home country in the late 1800s.
Dungan Mosque was built around 1904-1907 with interlocking wood and no nails.
The mosque survived the Soviet era and is still in very good shape.
Blue is the dominant colour. Other colours are green, yellow and red.
These colours have symbolic meaning in the Dungan culture - green represents happiness, yellow means wealth and prosperity and red is protection from evil spirits
Intricate carvings of plants and fruits such as grapes, peaches and pomegranates on the cornices surrounding the mosque. The corners of the roof are decorated with carvings of dragons.
The interior of Dungan mosque
The main gate
Lots of rose bushes and fruit trees (apricot, pear, apples) in the mosque compound.
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Memorial to those persecuted in WWII
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Lenin Statue
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Houses in Karakol with Russian style decorative wooden windows
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