In the far north-eastern corner of Kyrgyzstan lies Karakol, the nation’s fourth-largest city. Founded some 150 years ago, it was a military garrison at the edge of the Tsarist Russian Empire. Flanked by the mighty Tian Shan Mountains and the shimmering waters of Issyk Kul (lake), the province has long drawn adventure seekers. Beyond its natural splendour, Karakol holds a charming secret. “Karakol has been home to many ethnicities,” reveals guide Aibek Adigineev, “resulting in a syncretic architectural style unlike anywhere else in the country.”

Karakol is a melting pot of communities, some familiar like Russians and Uzbeks, and some less so—Tatars, Dungans, Uighurs, Kalmyks, and others. Take, for instance, the Przhevalsky Museum, which displays a vast collection of journals, maps, memorabilia, and eerily still taxidermy animals collected by Russian explorer Nikolay Przhevalsky. On a mission to reach Lhasa in Tibet, he ended up traversing Central Asia, documenting its geography, flora, and fauna. Ramil Samatkulov, an expert in Kyrgyz architectural history, shares, “The pastel blue building’s pediment and columns might showcase European neo-classical design, but the eagle sculpture above and the pair of running argali (wild mountain sheep) on the portico below, root it firmly in the highlands of this region.”

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