Bishkek, formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of the region but rather a region-level unit of Kyrgyzstan. It is also near the Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan border. Its population was 1,074,075 in 2021.
The Demographics of Kyrgyzstan is about the demographic features of the population of Kyrgyzstan, including population growth, population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The name Kyrgyz, both for the people and the country, means "forty tribes", a reference to the epic hero Manas who unified forty tribes against the Oirats, as symbolized by the 40-ray sun on the flag of Kyrgyzstan.
The Kyrgyz people are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, primarily Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek. Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's six million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians. The Kyrgyz language is closely related to other Turkic languages, although Russian remains spoken and is a co-official language. Ninety percent of Kyrgyzstan's population are Muslim, with the majority of its population following Sunni Islam. In addition to its Turkic origins, Kyrgyz culture bears elements of nomadic Mongolian tradition and Russian influence.
Kyrgyz music is nomadic and rural, and is closely related to Turkmen and Kazakh folk forms. Kyrgyz folk music is characterized by the use of long, sustained pitches, with Russian elements also prominent.
The Epic of Manas is a traditional epic poem dating to the 18th century but claimed by Kyrgyz tradition to be much older. Manas is said to be based on Bars Bek who was the first khagan of the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate. The plot of Manas revolves around a series of events that coincide with the history of the region in the 9th century, primarily the interaction of the Kyrgyz people with Turkic and Chinese people.
Togolok Moldo was a Kyrgyz poet, Manaschi and folk song writer. Born in the village Kurtka in what is now the Ak-Talaa District, Naryn Region, Kyrgyzstan. Togolok Moldo by his audiences – "togolok" means round-faced, "moldo" means an educated person. He is buried near the village of about 3,000 persons named for him in Ak-Talaa district.
Manas International Airport is the main international airport in Kyrgyzstan, located 25 kilometres (16 mi) north-northwest of the capital Bishkek.
The American University of Central Asia (AUCA), formerly the Kyrgyz-American School and the American University in Kyrgyzstan, is a liberal arts university located in Bishkek, the capital of the republic of Kyrgyzstan.
Football Club Dordoi Bishkek is a Kyrgyz professional football club based in Bishkek, that competes in the Kyrgyz Premier League. Founded in 1997, the club is owned by "Dordoi" Association, the group of companies that also own Dordoi Bazaar in Bishkek.
Kasym Tynystanov was a prominent Kyrgyz linguist, politician and poet.
Ramlila (Rāmlīlā) is any dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama according to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana or secondary literature based on it such as the Ramcharitmanas. It particularly refers to the thousands of Hindu god Rama-related dramatic plays and dance events, that are staged during the annual autumn festival of Navratri in India. After the enactment of the legendary war between Good and Evil, the Ramlila celebrations climax in the Dussehra night festivities where the giant grotesque effigies of Evil such as of demon Ravana are burnt, typically with fireworks.
Ala-Too Square is the central square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Rysbek Jumabayev is a revered manaschi. He has performed around the world, including in New York and London, and parts of his recitation of Manas have been recorded by the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia.
Akhyana was a traditional musical theatre as well as medieval genre of Gujarati poetry and Rajasthani poetry. It was primarily practiced in Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India.
Marko Ciciliani is a composer, audiovisual artist and performer.
Darkestrah is a Kyrgyz pagan metal band, formed in 1999 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Throughout their career the band has blended folklore music with metal elements. In its lyrics and in musical composition, the band uses national folk musical instruments, such as the komuz and kyl-kyak, and references shamanism and Tengrism. The band also takes influence from genres such as progressive rock and post-rock, generally constructing lengthy, rhythmically complex songs that often feature several discrete movements.
Sagimbai Orozbakov; (1868–1930) was a Kyrgyz manaschi, or reciter of the Epic of Manas. The first reputable and complete edition of his noted variant of Manas was published in 2010. It was the first to cover the whole life of the titular hero.
Talantaaly Bakchiev is a manaschi, representative of the 'middle generation' ,, and academic, president of the “Manas” and Chingiz Aitmatov National Academy.
