Chil-Ustun

{{Infobox cave

| name = Chil-Ustun Cave

| other_name = Чилустун үңкүрү {{in lang|ky}}

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| map = Kyrgyzstan

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| coords = {{Coord|40.5387|72.5256|format=dms|display=it}}

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| length = 380 m

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| elevation = 1100 m

| discovery = Ancient times

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| entrance_count = 1

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| lighting = Nne

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{{Infobox protected area

| name = Chil-Ustun

| iucn_category = III

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| photo_caption = Chil-Ustun Cave

| location = Aravan District, Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan

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Chil-Ustun Cave ({{langx|ky|Чил-Устун үңкүрү}}) also known as Aravan Cave is located in the Southwest of Kyrgyzstan in the Osh Mountains, composed of Paleozoic limestones, in 3.5 km from Aravan, Kyrgyzstan.{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://new.bizdin.kg/media/books/География_Кыргызстана.pdf|title=Чилустун үңкүрү|trans-title=Chilustun cave|encyclopedia=Кыргызстандын Географиясы [Geography of Kyrgyzstan]|page=319|language=ky|year=2004|location=Bishkek}} It is a protected natural monument.{{cite web|url=https://stat.gov.kg/media/files/21f93e4d-9418-433e-aed9-ecb28d70ef5a.doc|title=Classification system of territorial units of the Kyrgyz Republic|language=ky|date=May 2021|publisher=National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic|pages=86–91}} The cave belongs to the group of Karst caves of outlier mountains to the west of Osh.{{Cite book

| last= Chikishev | first= Anatoliy Grigorevich|date= 1973|title=Пещеры на территории СССР |trans-title=Caves in the USSR | series= Настоящее и будущее Земли и человечества|location =Moscow | language=Russian| publisher= Academy of Sciences of the USSR: Nauka publisher | page =85}} {{cite book|script-title=ru:Ошская область:Энциклопедия|trans-title=Encyclopedia of Osh Oblast|publisher=Chief Editorial Board of Kyrgyz Soviet Encyclopedia|language=ru|location=Frunze|year=1987|page=432}}

The entrance to the cave forms a 15 meter tall and approximately 25 meter wide arc. The cave is 380 meters long {{cite web|url=http://centralasia-adventures.com/kyrgyzstan/sights/chil_ustun_cave.html |title=Chil-Ustun Cave |publisher=Centralasia-adventures.com |date=1990-01-01 |accessdate=2014-06-07}} or up to 350 meters according to another source. It is located in a rock formation at 1100 meters above sea level. The entrance is located on a steep, oblique rock face.

The cave's existence has been known since mediaeval times as attested by Arabic inscriptions on the walls.

The cave consists of 3 chambers of different sizes, connected with corridors and narrow openings. The largest chamber is 85 m X 40 m X 20 m in size.

Inside the cave, stalactites and stalagmites (columns) reach heights of over 50 meters. These forms vary in color, from white and cream to dark brown.