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Mailuu-Suu

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City
—°2
Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
ℹ️

Practical info — Mailuu-Suu

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🌤 Weather — 5 days

📍 Nearby

Sights nearby

💡 Tips

  • Formerly a closed Soviet city, Mailuu-Suu has fascinating but decaying mid-century architecture.
  • The area is infamous for its uranium tailings. Stick to established roads and paths, and consider a local guide.
  • The local light bulb factory was once the biggest in Central Asia and is still a point of local pride.
  • Public transport to the town is less frequent; checking marshrutka schedules from Jalal-Abad in advance is crucial.

🍽 Food

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Shashlik

A popular meat skewer dish available in most small eateries in the town center.

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Samsa

Baked savory pastries with meat and onions, great for a quick snack.

🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots

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Bazaar Goods

The central market provides everyday goods and a glimpse into the resilient local lifestyle.

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Local bread (Tandyr nan)

Buy fresh bread straight from the tandoor oven early in the morning.

🧘
Town Park

A remnant of the Soviet era, this park provides a quiet place to sit among the aging statues.

🧘
River Bridges

The bridges over the Mailuu-Suu river offer nice views of the valley and the town's layout.

Mailuu-Suu lies in the Jalal-Abad Region at about 1000 metres above sea level in a narrow mountain gorge and is home to roughly 24,000 inhabitants today. In Soviet times the town was a strictly sealed closed city, where between 1946 and 1968 high-grade uranium ore was mined and processed for the Soviet nuclear weapons programme. More than ten thousand tonnes of radioactive sludge and tailings still sit in 23 often poorly secured dumps around the town, which led the Blacksmith Institute in the 2000s to list it among the ten most polluted places on Earth. Major international remediation programmes funded by the World Bank and the EU are currently under way. Economically the town regained some importance after the decline of uranium mining thanks to a large incandescent bulb and glass-tube factory that supplies much of Central Asia.

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °C-5-3410152023221692-4
Rain mm213036402918877233327

Geography

Coordinates
41.26000, 72.46000

Facts

  • Was a 'closed city' during the USSR (P.O. Box 200).
  • Home to one of the largest uranium tailing sites in the world.
  • Features one of Central Asia's largest light bulb factories.
  • Founded in 1946 due to uranium deposits.
  • The city is located in a deep, narrow mountain gorge.
  • International programs are working to secure the radioactive waste sites.
  • Considered one of the most environmentally challenged cities globally.

Explore nearby

Notable places around

Mailuu-Suu Lightbulb FactoryMailuu-Suu Lightbulb Factory<1 km · SExplore →
Kochkor-AtaKochkor-Ata8 km · WExplore →
Kurpsai Hydroelectric Power StationKurpsai Hydroelectric Power Station18 km · SEExplore →
AndijanAndijan21 km · SWExplore →
Aravan PetroglyphsAravan Petroglyphs25 km · WExplore →
Tash-Kumyr Hydroelectric Power StationTash-Kumyr Hydroelectric Power Station27 km · SExplore →
Kara DaryaKara Darya31 km · SWExplore →
Shamaldy-Say Hydroelectric Power StationShamaldy-Say Hydroelectric Power Station32 km · SExplore →

Route planner — Car & Motorhome

Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.

Vehicle
Only stops with (optional):

© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService

Sights in the town Mailuu-Suu (2)

Uranium Legacy History Museum🏛 museum

A museum documenting the mining history of Mailuu-Suu as a former center of Soviet uranium extraction.

Tserkov'📍 landmark

A Christian church in the industrial town of Mailuu-Suu, serving the local Orthodox community.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Mailuu-Suu known?
Due to its history as a uranium mining site and lamp manufacturing.
Is it safe to visit?
The city is inhabited, but there are areas with environmental concerns.
What can you visit in the city?
The museum of mining history and the surrounding mountains.
What is the scenery like?
The city is located in a narrow, scenic mountain valley.
How do you get to Mailuu-Suu?
By road from Jalal-Abad, about a 2-hour drive.
Mailuu-Suu: where is it located?
Mailuu-Suu is located in Kyrgyzstan.
Mailuu-Suu: what is there to see?
Highlights include Uranium Legacy History Museum, Tserkov'.
Mailuu-Suu: when is the best time to visit?
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun, Aug.
Mailuu-Suu: why is it worth visiting?
Mailuu-Suu lies in the Jalal-Abad Region at about 1000 metres above sea level in a narrow mountain gorge and is home to roughly 24,000 inhabitants today.
View on map → The Top 50 Attractions → OpenStreetMap →
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Nearby cities

Jalal-Abad — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Jalal-Abad
One of the largest cities in the south of the country, known for its hot springs and mineral waters.
Tash-Kumyr — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Tash-Kumyr
An industrial city on the Naryn River, known for its coal mining and hydroelectric power plants.
Toktogul — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Toktogul
A city north of the huge Toktogul Reservoir, surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges.
Kochkor-Ata — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Kochkor-Ata
A city in the Jalal-Abad Region whose economy is traditionally dominated by oil and gas extraction.
Kerben — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Kerben
A small town in the Aksy District, located in a picturesque mountainous landscape in the west of the country.
Kazarman — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Kazarman
A highly isolated mining settlement in inner Kyrgyzstan, often cut off from the rest of the country in winter.
Sary-Chelek Lake — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Sary-Chelek Lake
A stunning high-altitude lake within a UNESCO biosphere reserve, famous for its crystal-clear waters and dense walnut forests.
Suusamyr Valley — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Suusamyr Valley
A vast high-altitude plateau at 2,200 meters, famous for its green pastures and traditional Kumis production.

History & landmarks

Saimaluu Tash — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Saimaluu Tash
A remote mountain site hosting over 10,000 petroglyphs from the Bronze and Iron Ages.
🗺️
Saimaluu-Tash
One of the world's largest petroglyph fields, located high in the mountains, featuring thousands of ancient rock carvings.

Nature

Sary-Chelek Lake — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Sary-Chelek Lake
Hidden in the mountains lies the deep blue Sary-Chelek Lake, framed by wild fruit and walnut forests.
Chatkal River — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Chatkal River
The wild Chatkal River has carved deep, breathtaking gorges into the mountains of the western Tien Shan.

More places

Mailuu-Suu Lightbulb Factory — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Mailuu-Suu Lightbulb Factory
One of the largest lightbulb factories in Central Asia.
Kurpsai Hydroelectric Power Station — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Kurpsai Hydroelectric Power Station
A large hydroelectric power station on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan.
Tash-Kumyr Hydroelectric Power Station — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Tash-Kumyr Hydroelectric Power Station
Hydroelectric power plant on the Naryn River, contributing to the region's energy production.
Shamaldy-Say Hydroelectric Power Station — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Shamaldy-Say Hydroelectric Power Station
Another power plant of the Naryn cascade in Kyrgyzstan.
🗺️
Uch-Kurgan Hydroelectric Power Station
The first built power plant of the Naryn cascade near the Uzbek border.
🗺️
Fergana Valley Cotton Fields
In the warm plains of southern Kyrgyzstan, extensive cotton fields dominate the landscape.
🗺️
Dashman State Nature Reserve
The reserve is famous for its ancient and extensive walnut forests, which are considered the largest in the world.
Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Station — Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan)
Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Station
The largest hydroelectric power station in the country, located on the Naryn River.