Manas Ordo

Manas's kümböz, the alleged burial site of Manas

Manas Ordo (Kyrgyz: Манас Ордо, [mɑnɑs ordó]) is a modern historical park (with a museum) built around Manas's Kümböz (Kyrgyz: Манастын күмбөзү, [mɑnɑstɯn kymbœzy]), a Karakhanid-era mausoleum most likely built around 1334 thought to be the final resting place of the Kyrgyz epic hero Manas. Among the Kyrgyz, the site has status as a mazar.

Background

The Kyrgyz epic hero Manas is said to have been buried in the Ala-Too mountains in Talas Province, in northwestern Kyrgyzstan. The mausoleum 12 km east of the town of Talas is believed to house his remains and is a popular destination for Kyrgyz travelers. Traditional Kyrgyz horsemanship games are held there every summer since 1995. An inscription on the mausoleum states, however, that it is dedicated to "...the most famous of women, Kenizek-Khatun, the daughter of the emir Abuka". Legend has it that Kanikey, Manas' widow, ordered this inscription in an effort to confuse her husband's enemies and prevent a defiling of his grave.