Burana Tower is the last remaining structure of the medieval settlement of Balasagun. Capital to various Central Asian powers throughout time, the city would be immortalized in a Turkic language poem titled Qutadgu Bilig or "Graceful Knowledge". The tower is the center of a local legend concerning its construction. The story goes that a Khan long ago built the tower to protect his daughter from a foretold death by poisonous spider on her sixteenth birthday. Looking to hide her away, the Khan would be the one who gave her the fruit with a poisonous spider hidden in the basket.   

The tower was built out of fired bricks and originally part of a much larger complex. What stands today is a shorter version of the minaret, standing only 25 of the original 45 meters. The tower features an incredibly narrow and winding staircase to the top, but the views are worth every step of the climb! Once atop the tower, you can see the flat plains bordered by the Tain Shun mountains to the south. The Tain Shan mountains are also known as the Celestial mountains and earn every bit of that title! Take a look at the views and see the natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan!