Although mineral water is often thought of as a drink, The Oxford English Dictionary defines it more generally as: “water found in nature with dissolved salts present”. Some salts, of course, do not make for a very pleasant or refreshing drink.
Kyrgyzstan is rich in variety of mineral waters. Many of them are held to have curative properties and were the basis for establishing spas and sanatoria.
There are over 50 thermal springs, including Kochkor Ata, Djety Orguz, Issyk Ata and Ak Suu.
Curative mud (derived from silt and silt-peat) is found mainly in the Issyk Kul region and was the basis of several sanatoria which have been established on the lake shores, although other deposits are to be found in the Chui and Osh oblasts.