Jeti-Oguz Red Rocks

A series of red sandstone formations resembling 'Seven Bulls' — a striking 30-minute drive south of Karakol, with the iconic 'Broken Heart' rock at the entrance.

The ‘Seven Bulls’ is one of the most photographed natural landmarks in Kyrgyzstan: a row of dramatic red Permian sandstone walls running along the Jeti-Oguz River, with the equally iconic ‘Broken Heart’ formation greeting visitors at the valley entrance. Folk tradition tells of a king who, refusing to give up his rival’s wife, ordered seven bulls slaughtered to mourn her — the bulls then turned to stone. The valley behind opens into 30 km of rolling grasslands climbing toward the Terskey Ala-Too peaks, dotted with herder yurts in summer and a small Soviet-era spa town that still operates as a sanatorium. Easy trails follow the river upstream past spruce forests; longer rides cross the high pastures toward the Telety Pass and onward to the Karakol valley. The area is included as a half-day or full-day excursion in most EcoNomad Issyk-Kul itineraries.