Karakol Historical Museum

Karakol Historical Museum

Karakol Historical Museum
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles43 reviews
Excellent
13
Very good
19
Average
9
Poor
2
Terrible
0

lbdusold
Chicago, IL116 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2016 • Solo
I went to check out this little museum during my stay in Karakol. I wasn't expecting much. When I got there, none of the staff spoke English and only a few signs were translated. Without description, it was obvious that the museum housed a lot of traditional Kyrgy clothing, instruments and yurts. I wish I could have understood the rest! There was a section with Karakol Heros that had some translation, which was nice. Also, a huge section of taxidermy!

What made my visit worth the 70SOM (a little over one USD), was the exhibit they had on display. This had translation in English, and it was about adventurer, explorer and photographer Ella Maillart. It had a lot of good photos of her trip to the region during the 1930. Really interesting. Worth seeing!
Written October 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JGDynamo
Canada2,074 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Friends
We checked out the Karakol Historical Museum in Karakol last August 2017 when we were driving through the area. It is a small museum but allows you to learn a bit about the history of Kyrgyzstan and the region that you are in at that moment. The photo exhibit by the Swiss photographer is quite nice to see, the exhibits and displays are quite well cared for if not in need of a bit of TLC but still friendly staff and a nice stop for an hour or so.
Written July 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Asel O
Kyrgyzstan63 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Family
The Museum itself is old and tells not much about the history of Karakol however the underground exhibition hall conducts modern photo exhibitions that are fresh and deep. Loved it.
Written November 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bakbouk
Sacramento, CA143 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2017 • Friends
Yes, go here. It is a small but very interesting museum. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, but you'll need a translator. They are very welcoming, and explained that they are saving up to update the displays, which would be a good thing as many display cases are in need of lighting.
At the time I was there, there was a display of Ella Maillart's photos, which was equally fascinating. She was a Swiss photographer who traveled in Central Asia in the 1930s.

Don't miss this little gem.
Written October 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

janedeuxdeniers
Moscow, Russia3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2017 • Couples
...and the lady of the Museum is quite interesting and very helpful.
It is not such a big museum but it is interesting. we wish a very long life to this museum!
Written September 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

banboo29
Bend, OR11 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Friends
Small but interesting local museum. A room of taxidermy animals usually not my fav but the animals were a good representation of the wildlife found in Kyrgyzstan. Even down to some small rodents. Good sense of the traditional way of life here.
Written August 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

4Almaz
Karakol, Kyrgyzstan6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Business
If you are traveller from Europe, among many interesting materials, see the corner of Ella Maillart, a Swiss adventurer who visited Karakol in 1930's. You can see her photos taken during that period, you can ask for a book "Turkestan Solo" depicting her travel from Moscow to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Written May 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John123874
Auckland, New Zealand59 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019
We really enjoyed visiting this museum. While it is a little dated and museum professionals may be alarmed at some of the display techniques, it is a solid museum with interesting artifacts and good information panels. We took our time and got a bit out of it. The curator/assistant helped us out with photographs and gave us information when we asked. Friendly help. Lovely old building too.
Written October 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

boston-tech-guy
Boston93 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
This small museum contains historical and cultural artifacts about Karakol and traditional Kyrgyz nomadic culture. But the most interesting part is a permanent exhibition of black-and-white photos made by the famed Swiss traveler and adventurer Ella Maillart who visited Karakol in the 1930s.

Entrance 70 som. Open Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00.
Written September 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew M
7,585 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Family
The History Museum is small but chocked full of exhibits. It is the oldest museum in Karakol as it was opened in 1948. It was originally a house of a merchant family that was taken over by the red army after the revolution,. On the exterior wall, to the left of the entrance is a plaque dedicated to Przhevalsky who has his own park and museum a short drive north of town. I am sure that many specimens of the museum resulted from the work of Przhevalsky, who lived in Karakol until his death in 1888.

The exhibits include ancient items that were found in/near Issyk-Kul Lake. The exhibits display local culture and history, and are well presented. We enjoyed the displays of old bank notes and coins from various countries,and donated a bank note from our country, as we did not see it represented amongst the exhibits.The musical instruments, samovars, stuffed animal and reptile display were also very interesting.

There is a large hall of photographs which seem to be a permanent display. The photographer is Ella Mailllart who is famous for taking photos in Central Asia.The small section on WW2 and the revolution was very interesting, but do not expect much english. You can be in and out of the museum in 30 minutes, but it offers insight into the culture and traditions of the Kyrygz people, and I would recommend a visit. The museum is open between 9am-5pm daily. Other nearby attractions include, the Orthodox Church, Central Park and Dungan Mosque.
Written August 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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