Thousands on Saturday attended the state funeral of Chingiz Aitmatov, 79, Kyrgyzstan's best-known author, who died of pneumonia on Thursday.

He was buried in accordance with Muslim custom at the Ata Beit memorial cemetery near the capital Bishkek, the Kyrgyz agency Akipress reported.

Mourners held portraits of the revered writer in their hands. Aitmatov's works, including the 1958 literary love story Jamilya, has been translated into 150 languages.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the president of the former soviet republic, paid tribute to Aitmatov, saying his work embodied humanity and the history and culture of Kyrgyzstan.

Aitmatov died at a hospital in the southern German city of Nuremberg. He was flown to Germany last month after becoming ill during film work, 800 kilometres east of Moscow. Russian doctors diagnosed kidney failure.

Aitmatov was for a time Kyrgyz ambassador to Brussels. (dpa)