Manas Ordo
A 14th-century gumbez (domed mausoleum), a museum of the Manas epic and a lookout hill above the Talas Valley.
- 1995Epic’s 1,000th anniversary
- 30 somForeigners 200 som (pre-2025)
- July +26°, January −2°daytime
- Tasharyk, 15 km from TalasMinibus from bazaar, 20 som
Stops in walking order
The list on the left follows the chapters as you scroll. Tap a photo to enlarge it.
-
outside1 / 4
Gumbez
The brick gumbez stands among trees: a tall portal, carved ornament and a narrow entrance arch. Popular belief calls it Manas’s tomb, but the inscription says otherwise.
-
September 8, 2024outside2 / 4
Inscription and ornament
The wall is faced with carved brick: pattern and Arabic script. It dedicates the gumbez to a woman, Kenizek Khatun. The Manas link is legend: his widow Kanykei is said to have ordered it.
-
outside3 / 4
Facade and roof
A square hall under a low pyramid roof, with round columns at the corners and an entrance under a pointed arch with a wooden door. Dated to about 1334; some accounts consider it older.
-
September 11, 2018outside4 / 4
The hill and the view
The lookout hill behind the museum once served as an observation post. The climb up the stairs takes about 15 minutes; from the top you see the park, the valley and the mountains.
History by date
- 1334Gumbez
The gumbez is built. Some believe it is older than usually thought.
- 1976First museum
A literary and ethnographic museum opens.
- 1995Epic’s 1,000th anniversary
For the millennium of the Manas epic the complex took on its present look; the celebrations were held mainly in Talas.
- 2001National status
The complex receives national status.
- 2025Closed for repairs
From 1 August the complex is closed to visitors; reconstruction work begins on 13 November.
- 2026Opening after renovation
On 11 September the president opens the renewed complex; the museum shows new exhibitions.
Four seasons
How the place looks at different times of year.
-
Spring
March–MayApril: about 14° by day and 1° at night; bring a jacket.
-
Summer
June–AugustJuly: about 26° by day and 14° at night; bring water and a hat.
-
Autumn
September–NovemberSeptember: the trees turn yellow and the hills are dry and golden. In October about 13° by day and 0° at night.
-
Winter
December–FebruaryJanuary: about −2° by day and −12° at night; dress warmly.
Where it is
- Address
- Tasharyk, 15 km east of Talas
- From the base
- ≈11 km as the crow flies · Talas
- Coordinates
- 42.525° N, 72.3824° E
Opening times and etiquette
Etiquette
- A shrine. Pilgrims come to the gumbez. Speak quietly and keep noise down at the entrance.
- Museum. The epic museum at the foot of the hill: dioramas of Manas scenes, saddles, weapons, armour and portraits of manaschi (epic tellers).
- Yurt and park. In the yurt, manaschi perform the epic. The alley of forty warriors leads to a Manas statue; nearby are a hippodrome and a teahouse.
- The hill. A staircase leads up the hill; the climb takes about 15 minutes.
Check on site
- Opening hours since the 2026 reopening and ticket price, museum separately at the ticket desk or by phone
- How to get there: minibus from the bazaar or taxi from Talas bus station with the driver
Contact and help
112 single emergency number
- 101 fire and rescue
- 102 police
- 103 ambulance
You can call 112 with a local SIM or without one.
Manas Ordo in photos
Real photos, each with the date it was taken. Tap or click to enlarge.
- September 11, 2018
- September 8, 2024
- September 20, 2024
Nearby and where to go next
- Base · TalasTalasA town in the Talas Valley, the base for Manas Ordo, Besh-Tash, the reservoir and the Kara-Buura Pass.
Route · ≈21 km as the crow fliesBesh-Tash State Nature ParkFrom the lower valley to the high mountain lake Besh-Tash
Base · ≈33 km as the crow fliesMadaniyatA village at the mouth of the Urmaral Gorge: a start for hikes, with nights in Talas.
Route · ≈78 km as the crow fliesLake Sary-ChelekOver the pass to lakes and walnut forests