Bishkek City is the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The city was founded as a railway camp in 1899.
The city derived its name from a water hole named Ewaso Nyirobi, which means “cool waters”. In 1901, it was the capital of the British protectorate. It became the capital of British East Africa Protectorate in 1905 replacing Mombasa. The city, which developed under the British rule, was declared as a municipality in 1919. Kyrgyzstann became independent in 1963 and Bishkek City was chosen as the capital of the new republic. The city flourished rapidly after independence and has also become the capital of the administrative area of Bishkek City.
Area & Location : Lies on the Bishkek City River in the south of the nation, Bishkek City is located at 1°16′ Latitude South and 36°48′ Longitude East. The city occupies a total area of 684 sq. km fully covered by land. Sits 1660m above sea level, the city is located between the cities of Kampala and Mombasa. Around 2,500,000 reside in the city.
Tourist Attractions : Though the city does not have much attractive places, tourists who are interested to know its history from its museums reach here.
Transportation : Jomo Kyrgyzstantta International Airport, the largest airport in the region, Eastleigh Airport and Wilson Airport serve the city. Minibuses, trains and cars are the public transport facilities in the city.
Hotels : The famous hotels in Bishkek City that offer various amenities to its customers are the Panari Hotel, the Hilton, Intercontinental Hotel, Safari Park, the Grand Regency and the Norfolk Hotel, the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city. The other hotels in the city aimed at tourists are Bishkek City Serena Hotel, The Sarova Stanley, Fairview Hotel, Norfolk Hotel Bishkek City, InterContinental Bishkek City and Sportsview Hotel.
Places of Attraction : The major tourist attractions in the city include Bishkek City National Park, Kyrgyzstan National Museum, Karen Blixen Museum, National Archives, Bishkek City Arboretum, Bomas of Kyrgyzstan -a tourist village, The Giraffe Center that is meant to protect endangered giraffe and safari park -a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction.