On September 18, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a law renaming the city of Jalal-Abad to Manas. Parliament had previously approved the bill unanimously on 10 September 2025, with lawmakers declaring that the change aims to strengthen national ideology and perpetuate the legacy of the Kyrgyz people’s national hero, Manas. The law will come into force ten days after its official publication.

History of Jalal-Abad

The city long known as Jalal-Abad sits in southern Kyrgyzstan, about 520 kilometers from Bishkek, near the Uzbek border. It traces its origins to a 19th-century caravanserai and spa. Jalal-Abad was first recognized as a town in 1877 under the Russian Empire, and its status was reaffirmed in 1927 during the Soviet period. Today, it is a regional hub of light industry, agriculture, and services, with a population of more than 180,000.

The city is famed for its mineral springs and the nearby walnut forests of the Ferghana foothills, which have been used for centuries as sources of food and medicine. Jalal-Abad has also been a focal point of Kyrgyz political life, serving as a southern stronghold during waves of protest that reshaped national politics.

Why “Manas”?

The Manas epic occupies a foundational place in Kyrgyz cultural identity. Recited by generations of manaschi (epic singers), it recounts the deeds of Manas, a legendary tribal leader who united the Kyrgyz and defended them from foreign enemies. The trilogy (Manas, Semetey, Seytek) runs to hundreds of thousands of lines, making it the longest epic poem in the world.

UNESCO describes the work as “an oral encyclopedia of the Kyrgyz people,” a living tradition that preserves values of unity, honor, hospitality, and courage. Performances of the epic remain central to weddings, funerals, and public celebrations. By renaming Jalal-Abad to Manas, lawmakers are seeking to embed these ideals in the civic identity of one of Kyrgyzstan’s largest cities.

Political Debate and Local Reactions

The renaming bill was introduced by Kudaibergen Bazarbaev, head of the State Agency for Civil Service and Local Government Affairs, and supported by both the Jalal-Abad City Council and the president’s regional representative. The cost of the change is estimated at about 15 million Kyrgyz som (roughly $150,000), to be paid from the local budget.

The debate in parliament highlighted the symbolic weight of the change. MP Mirlan Samyikozho told colleagues: “There should be no news on the Internet about Manas prostitutes, Manas corrupt officials, Manas rapists in the future.” Others suggested shifting the image of Manas away from the traditional horse-mounted warrior to that of a just ruler on a throne.

Supporters say the change reflects the wishes of residents and strengthens national pride. Critics argue it diverts attention from pressing issues such as infrastructure and employment. On social media, reactions have been mixed. An Instagram post documenting the decision drew both celebratory comments about cultural pride and skeptical remarks about municipal spending priorities.

The Epic as National Symbol

For many Kyrgyz, the name Manas is synonymous with the nation itself. The epic is woven into language, literature, and art, serving as a storehouse of collective memory. Scholars note that the poem not only chronicles battles and heroes but also encapsulates philosophy, moral codes, and customs.

Former President Askar Akayev once described the epic as “our spiritual foundation, our pride, our strength, and our hope.” By attaching this name to a major city, today’s leaders are hoping to reaffirm those values.

The Manas Air Base Legacy

The name also carries more recent, more controversial associations. From 2001 until 2014, the U.S. military operated the Transit Center at Manas at Bishkek’s international airport, a key hub for airlift and refueling operations, before formally handing it back to Kyrgyz authorities. Established in the wake of the September 11 attacks, it became a crucial transit hub for U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. At its peak, it hosted around 3,000 troops and dozens of aircraft, moving personnel and billions of liters of fuel.

Initially welcomed as an economic boon, the base soon became entangled in scandal. Local fuel contracts were monopolized by well-connected elites, and only contractors willing to pay bribes were able to gain access. Public anger deepened after the 2006 killing of a local driver by a U.S. serviceman, who escaped punishment.

Kyrgyz presidents repeatedly used the base as a bargaining chip between Washington and Moscow. In 2009, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced its closure after securing a $2 billion aid package from Russia, only to reverse course and demand sharply higher U.S. rent payments. The maneuver backfired; Bakiyev was overthrown in a 2010 revolution fueled in part by perceptions of corruption.

Ultimately, President Almazbek Atambayev ordered the base’s closure. In June 2014, U.S. forces handed over the facility, ending 13 years of operations. The departure cost Kyrgyzstan an estimated $350 million annually in contracts, fuel purchases, and airport fees, along with $60 million in rent, around 3% of the state budget at the time. Russia consolidated its influence soon afterward, deepening Kyrgyzstan’s integration into Moscow’s economic and security orbit.

What the Renaming Means

Renaming Jalal-Abad to Manas ties together multiple strands of Kyrgyz history, invoking the epic hero as a symbol of unity, identity, and moral strength. It also echoes the memory of geopolitical contests that once swirled around the Manas Air Base.

For residents, the change means new signage, documents, and postal addresses. For the nation, it is meant to inspire pride and responsibility. Whether the city now called Manas can embody the virtues of its namesake rather than the corruption associated with the base that bore the same name remains to be seen.

As one lawmaker put it, the renaming is not just symbolic but a responsibility: citizens must ensure the city lives up to the honor of being named for their national hero.