Historical Site

Gumbez Balchak

Gumbez Balchak in Djukku valley
Anina Eggenberger for Nomad's Land

Issyk Kul regionKyrgyzstan • 1916 m

Ruins of ancient Gumbez is the only memory in the valley of Djuuku gorge. If you look around it’s hard to believe that long time ago a lot of things were going on here.

According to the history this gumbez belonged to one rich man called Balchak. Balchak was famous and powerful leader since he owned nomadic tribes in Yssyk-Kul, Kashgar and Central Tian Shan. Balchak built has gumbez in all regions where he owned nomads.

Gumbez in Djuuku was built by Kashgarian masters. Usually gumbez is built with bricks made of clay with the addition of goat's wool fat and slaughtered during the holy rite of cattle. 

Gumbez is a building with high columns both sides. Building materials were adobe brick, juniper logs and boards. Gumbez Dimensions 9 x 8 x 7 m. It is surprising that after standing for more than two hundred years, it’s still there. Balchak himself lived at the end of the VIII- IX was in charge of the Djuuku way. Under the bottom Gumbez, archaeologists had found books in Arabic language, which indicates Balchak was educated person