Issyk-Kul Region in the context of "Mahmud al-Kashgari"

Karakol (/ˌkærəˈkoʊl/; Kyrgyz: Каракол, IPA: [qɑrɑˈqɔɫ]), formerly Przhevalsk (Russian: Пржевальск, IPA: [pr̩ʐɨˈvalʲsk]), is the fourth-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, near the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) from the Kyrgyzstan–China border and 380 kilometres (240 mi) from the capital Bishkek. It is the administrative capital of Issyk-Kul Region. Its area is 44 square kilometres (17 sq mi), and its resident population was 84,351 in 2021 (both including Pristan'-Przheval'sk). To the north, on highway A363, is Tüp, and to the southwest Jeti-Ögüz resort.

The China–Kyrgyzstan border is 1,063 km (661 mi) in length and runs from the tripoint with Kazakhstan following a roughly south-west line across various mountain ridges and peaks of the Tian Shan range down to the tripoint with Tajikistan. The border divides (from north to south/east to west) Issyk-Kul Region, Naryn Region and Osh Region in Kyrgyzstan from Aksu Prefecture (to the north and east) and Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture (to the south and west) in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.

Pristan'-Przheval'sk is an urban-type settlement in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan. Administratively, it is part of the city Karakol. The town was named after the Russian geographer, Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, who is buried nearby. It lies 12 km north west of Karakol. Its population was 2,829 in 2021.

Kyrgyz and Dungan rebels attacked Przheval'sk during the 1916 Basmachi revolt. This was met by repression and in Przheval'sk 70% of the Kyrgyz died along with 90% of their cattle.

Tüp (Kyrgyz: Түп) or Tyup (Russian: Тюп) is a large village in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan, and the center of the Tüp District. It was established as village Preobrazhenskoye in 1870. Its population was 12,355 in 2021. Tüp is a road junction town at the northeast corner of Lake Issyk Kul. To the west on A363 is Anan'yevo and to the south Karakol. To the east, A362 leads up the Karkara valley to Kazakhstan.

The Karkara ('black crane') Valley leads east from here about 60 km to Kazakhstan between the Kyungey Ala-Too to the north and the Central Tian Shan to the south. There is an annual horse festival. Halfway up the valley is the village of San-Tash (counting stones). It is said that Tamerlane once ordered each of his soldiers to place a stone in a pile as they passed. When they returned, each soldier was to remove a stone, the number of remaining stones being the number of soldiers that has died. There is a small hollow in the top of the pile, representing the comparatively very small number of people who returned. There are no other stones in the region for miles around.

Jeti-Ögüz (Kyrgyz: Жети-Өгүз, romanized: Jeti-Ögüz, lit. 'seven bulls') is a balneotherapic resort located at the Jeti-Ögüz Rocks near Issyk Kul in the Jeti-Ögüz District of Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan, about 28 km west of Karakol, and near Jeti-Ögüz village. Its population was 337 in 2021.

Jengish Chokusu or Victory Peak is the highest mountain in the Tian Shan mountain system in Central Asia at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft). It lies on the China–Kyrgyzstan border between the Ak-Suu District in the Issyk-Kul Region of far eastern Kyrgyzstan and Wensu County, Xinjiang, China. It is part of the Kakshaal Too, the highest part of the Tian Shan, and is southeast of lake Issyk-Kul. Jengish Chokusu is the 16th most prominent peak on Earth.

Naryn Region is the largest region of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the east of the country and borders with Chüy Region in the north, Issyk-Kul Region in the northeast, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China in the southeast, Osh Region in the southwest, and Jalal-Abad Region in the west. Its capital is Naryn. Its total area is 44,160 km (17,050 sq mi). The resident population of the region was 292,140 as of January 2021.

The main highway runs from the Chinese border at Torugart Pass north to Balykchy on Lake Issyk-Kul. It is known as the location of Lake Song-Köl, Lake Chatyr-Köl, and Tash Rabat.