Ruh Ordo

Ruh Ordo, the spiritual centre, was built in the 2000s on the Issyk-Kul shore at Cholpon-Ata around an idea rather than a history: five identical white chapels stand in a garden, one each for Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Judaism and Buddhism, none of them functioning places of worship, intended as a statement about coexistence. Around them are busts and statues of writers, thinkers and cultural figures, a museum wing, exhibition halls and a stretch of private beach. The complex is named after Chinghiz Aitmatov, the Kyrgyz writer, and is closely associated with him. Opinions divide sharply: some visitors find it a pleasant lakeside garden with a decent idea behind it, others find it artificial. It is one of the few built attractions on the northern shore.

What you actually see

• The five chapels - identical white buildings for five religions.
• Statue garden - busts of writers and cultural figures along the paths.
• Lakeside setting - grounds and beach on the Issyk-Kul shore.
• Aitmatov material - displays on the writer the complex honours.

When to go

May to September, when the northern shore is in season and the grounds are green. Winter closes much of it. The complex is busiest in July and August with holidaymakers from Bishkek and Kazakhstan.

Honest expectations

Nothing here is old or authentic: it is a purpose-built complex from the 2000s, and visitors expecting historic religious buildings will be disappointed. The chapels are not used for worship. Entry is charged and the site is small for the price. It works as a stroll rather than a sight.

Nearby

The Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs are in the same town; Semenovka gorge lies east.