Burana Tower
The Burana Tower (probably derived from the Turkish word Murana for minaret) is one of the oldest structures of its kind in Central Asia. The location of the ancient city of Balasagun is believed to be near the tower. The tower is located about 12 km southwest of the Kyrgyz city of Tokmok on the left bank of the Chu River.
The building was erected in the 10th or 11th century. The original height is assumed to be at least 40 m, but the upper part was destroyed by a strong earthquake. Today the tower is 21.7 meters high. The complex with the tower and the remains of a double defensive wall, other buildings and fragments of water pipes is attributed to the Karakhanids and is now an archaeological and architectural museum.
A legend related to the tower says that a witch warns a king that her daughter would die when she was eighteen. To avoid this fate, the king built a tall tower and sequestered his daughter there, preventing her from seeing anyone except the maid responsible for bringing her food. The princess grew up and became a beautiful young girl. One day, however, a poisonous spider hidden among the food bit the girl, who thus died at the predicted age of eighteen.
It is built of burnt bricks and juniper beams. On an octahedral stone plinth stands a trunk, round in cross-section, tapering towards the top, surrounded by belts of ornamental masonry. On the south side, at a height of 5 m, there is a doorway, from which a spiral staircase begins, leading to the observation deck. The height of the tower is 21 m, diameter - 9 m. Its former height was supposedly 44-48 m.
Near the tower, there is a "rock garden", in which the so-called "balbals" (VI-X centuries) are collected - ancient gravestones, ancient millstones, and stones with petroglyphs (1000 BC).
Probably Burana was the vertical dominant of the ancient city of Balasagun, the northern capital of the Turkic-speaking state of the Karakhanids. In 1218, Balasagun was captured and destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols and ceased to exist in the XIV century.
