The Times of Central Asia
May 19, 2007 Saturday
Mysteries of apostle’s final resting-place draw tourists to Issyk Kul
BISHKEK 19th May (TCA Editions) Well known as the natural gem of
Kyrgyzstan and the country’s top attraction, travelers have flocked
to Lake Issyk Kul for centuries to lounge on its shores. Today many
travelers to Issyk Kul are not just coming to relax but to explore
the mystery of whether the lake is the final resting-place of one of
the twelve apostles.
"The intact body of the Saint Apostle and evangelist Matthew, who
died in Syria, has been found on Kyrgyz soil," said Vladamir the
Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church of Bishkek and Central
Asia.
In truth, there is no proof that Matthew’s body was uncovered at
Issyk-Kul, but there is at least one piece of evidence that Matthew
may have been buried on the shores of the lake and this has inspired
a continuing search for his grave.
In 1857 Russian explorer Semenov-Tian-Shansky came into possession of
a Catalan Map dating back to 1357. The map depicted a building
crowned with a figure of Christ and the inscription "A place named
Issyk Kul Lake, where a monastery of the Nestorian Christians (an
Armenian Christian group) is situated. It is said that in this
monastery the body of St. Matthew, an Apostle and Evangelist, was
buried."
Since the discovery of the map and the spread of the legend, locals,
tourists and archaeologists have been searching for the site.
If you follow the tourists, the burial spot is likely the cavern of
Schema-Monk Isikhiy in Kurmenty Bay between the villages of Svetly
Mys and Tiup. The area has numerous caves but, many people believe
one cave that forms a long neck and is washed by the waves of
Issyk-Kul on three sides is the monastery from the Catalan map.
Archaeologist Alexander Kamyshev is one of those believers. In 2005
Kamishev led a team from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic Univeristy to the
cave and they determined the cave’s design was consistent with that
of a medieval Armenian monasteries.
"The two-storey complex of cells and halls, with 65-cm wide corridors
and air holes, is unlikely to have been dug out by one man alone. The
arches must have been built by an ancient architect."
Kyrgyz archaeologist Vladimir Ploskikh is convinced the real
monastery lies on a hill on the Zayachem Peninsula in the Tyoopsi
region of Issyk Kul. He participated in an expedition to the area
last year which recovered numerous items from an opening on a hill.
He said the discovery of these items indicate that this spot was the
monastery on the Catalan map.
"According to the treasures found, which included small bronze
objects and crosses, the historian Alexander Kamishevim and I
concluded that we had at last found the mythical monastery of the
Armenian brotherhood marked on the Spanish map, which contained the
relics," said Ploskikh.
Of course proving such a tale is not that simple. Various legends
also tell of Christians burying holy relics in the area. According to
one story Christians fleeing Syria in the 2nd and 3rd centuries
brought relics to Issyk Kul while another tells of Christian pilgrims
burying treasures in a cave in the area in 1218.
It is likely the only real truth is that the mystery of Matthew’s
final resting spot will continue to attract visitors to Issyk Kul and
exaggerated stories and legends will continue.