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Jeroen Toirkens

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  • p029_2000_022_09.jpg
    Kyrgyzstan, Song Kül, June 2000 / Kyrgyz is derived from the Turkish word for forty and refers to forty clans. The forefathers of the Kyrgyz were Turkish nomads. They migrated about a thousand years ago from North East Siberia and Mongolia, moving southwards to the Tien Shan Mountains in Central Asia.
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    Kyrgyzstan, Söng Kül, June 2000
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    Kyrgyzstan, Altyn Arashan, June 2000 / In May, the Kyrgyz travel with their herds to the higher planes of the Tien Shan Mountains.
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    Kyrgyzstan, Tash Rabat, June 2000 / Fermented horse milk, Koumis, is the national drink of Kyrgyzstan.
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    Kyrgyzstan, Altyn Arashan, June 2000
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    Kyrgyzstan, Altyn Arashan, June 2000 / Ulak Tariysh is an old tradition in Central Asia. It is a competition between two teams of six to ten horse riders. The very skilled horsemen are able to grab a carcass of a goat weighing twenty kilos off the ground. The team that first throws the carcass into their opponents’ goal is the winner.