Published on : Thursday, January 24, 2019
Visitors can get to see various ethno festivals, but the best way to experience the full richness of the local culture and customs, one should visit the World Nomad Games.
First held in 2014, and now held every two years, the World Nomad Games is an assembling of athletes, artists, craftsmen, and visitors from around the world. In previous years, delegations from almost every continent (except Antarctica) have competed, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, China, Russia, Turkey and the United States.
The games feature races, horse games, hunting demonstrations and wrestling.
Wrestling attracts the maximum number of competitors. Athletes compete in traditional forms of wrestling from Central Asia, as well as mas wrestling, where an athlete attempts to wrestle a stick from his opponent. Besides, there are intellectual games, like mangala, as well as hunting games. The biggest draw of the Nomad Games are the horse games.
Sports are not the only draw at the Nomad Games. A yurt village in Kyrchyn Gorge featured hundreds of yurts from every region in Kyrgyzstan, and hosted regular performances and demonstrations of everything from traditional improvisation to horseback stunts. There are also cultural competitions. One can also buy handicrafts from master artisans.
Tags: Kyrgyz land, World Nomad Games