Folklore Festival, KyrgyzstanPhotograph by Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images
Horses and horsemanship have long been prized in the nomadic Kyrgyz culture and contemporary men are eager to show they can still perform just about any feat, including wrestling matches known as oodarysh, while mounted.
Festivals celebrating such skills, and featuring plenty of food and drink, are held at high altitude summer pasture grounds known as jailoo. This event at Sarala-Saz draws tourists to a beautiful but remote region. |