The Ak-Buura runs the length of the city, separating the modern centre from the Uzbek mahallas. Its name means "White Camel" in Kyrgyz, and the water is fast, cold and milky with glacial silt for most of the year.
A pedestrian promenade follows the eastern bank, with benches and small bridges crossing to the western side. A short walk gets you between the bazaar at the northern end and the central park further south, and the cool air off the water is welcome in summer when the city sits in the high thirties.