Balasagun

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Balasagun (Balassagun, Balasaghun, Karabalsagun) was an ancient city in modern-day Kyrgyzstan, located in the Chui River valley between Bishkek and Lake Issyk-Kul. It was the capital of the Kara-Khitan Khanate from the 10th Century until the Mongols captured it in 1218. The Mongols called it Gobalik = pretty city. It should not be confused with the city of Karabalghasun which was the capital of the Uyghur Khanate.

Founded in the 9th century, Balasagun was for many years one of the largest cultural and economic centers of Central Asia, but its prosperity declined after the Mongol conquest. The poet Yusuf Has Hajib, known for writing the Kutadgu Bilig, is thought to have been born in Balasagun in the 11th century. Today Balasagun is a village with plenty of ruins, 12 km southeast of Tokmok.

The Burana zone, located at the edge of Tokmok and 6 km from the present village of Balasagun, was the west end of the ancient city. It includes the Burana Tower and a field of stone petroglyphs, the bal-bals. The Burana Tower is a minaret built in the 11th century on the ruins of the ancient city Balasagun. It is 24 m (79 ft.) in height, though when it was first built it topped 46 m (138 ft.). Several earthquakes through the centuries caused much damage, and the current building represents a major renovation carried out in the 1970s.