Osh

A 3,000-year-old Silk Road city where UNESCO-listed Sulaiman-Too overlooks one of Central Asia's largest bazaars; also the start of the Pamir Highway.

Osh is Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city and the capital of southern Osh Region. Located on the eastern edge of the Fergana Valley, right next to the Uzbek border, it has more than 3,000 years of history and was an important trading town on the ancient Silk Road; most of its residents are Kyrgyz and Uzbek. Rising in the city centre is the UNESCO-listed sacred mountain of Sulaiman-Too, with Babur's House, petroglyphs, a cave museum and many pilgrimage spots; at its foot are the Asaf ibn Burkhiya Mausoleum and the statue of Kurmanjan Datka. Stretching along the Ak-Buura River, the Jayma Bazaar is one of the largest open-air markets in Central Asia. The city's sights are close together and can be covered in 1–2 days on foot and by taxi. Day trips: about 55 km northeast, Uzgen has a Karakhanid minaret and mausoleums; to the south are Papan Reservoir and Kyrgyz-Ata National Park; to the southwest are the Abshir-Ata waterfall and Chil-Ustun Cave. Osh is also the northern starting point of the Pamir Highway (M41), which heads south via Sary-Tash to the Tajik Pamirs or China's Irkeshtam border crossing. Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct are the most pleasant months, while Jul–Aug often tops 35°C. Getting there: several daily flights from Bishkek take about 1 hour, and the overland route over the mountain passes takes about 10–12 hours; there is a land border crossing to Andijan in Uzbekistan. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain – A five-peaked stone mountain rising in the heart of Osh, a millennium-old pilgrimage site for both Islamic and pre-Islamic traditions, and…
• Jayma Bazaar – An old market stretching more than a kilometer along the Ak-Bura River, one of Central Asia's largest open-air markets, where Silk Road tra…
• National Historical and Archaeological Museum Complex Sulayman – A museum built inside a natural cave in the mountain. Its curving Soviet-era concrete façade is striking, and it displays archaeology and f…
• Babur's House – A small prayer house on the main peak of Sulayman-Too, where Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, is said to have prayed as a youth. The cu…
• Mausoleum of Asaf ibn Burkhiya – An 18th-century brick mausoleum at the eastern foot of Sulayman-Too, said to be the resting place of Asaf, a minister of King Solomon, and…
• Kurmanjan Datka Monument – An equestrian statue honouring Kurmanjan Datka, the 19th-century 'Queen of Alai', a symbol of Kyrgyz national memory.
• Lenin Statue, Osh – One of the tallest Lenin statues still standing in Central Asia, located on Lenin Square opposite the regional government building, a remin…
• Uzgen Minaret & Mausoleums – Remains of a Karakhanid capital from the 11th and 12th centuries, with a minaret and three adjoining mausoleums whose brickwork decoration…
• Abshir-Ata Waterfall – A unusual waterfall that gushes from the middle of a steep rock face. Set in a gorge with a health resort and springs, it is a popular day…
• Kyrgyz-Ata National Park – A high-altitude mountain forest park on the northern slopes of the Alai Range, surrounded by spruce forests, streams and meadows, ideal for…
• Papan Reservoir – A jade-green reservoir in a gorge about 25 km south of Osh, where red cliffs reflect in the lake, and rainbow trout is on the menu.
• Chil-Ustun Cave – A stalactite cave in limestone mountains about 25 km west of Osh, said to contain 'forty pillars'. A local guide is required.

Where to eat

• Oybek Mantykana – The most famous manti house in Osh, where you order by weight, featuring local specialties like mini manti and green he…
• Farkhad Plov Center – One of the oldest plov houses in Osh, serving plov made with Uzgen red rice and beef, best enjoyed in groups.
• Semeyniy (Shakirov Street) – A highly rated family restaurant in Osh, offering a comprehensive menu of Uzbek and Uyghur dishes, with plov available…

Itineraries

• Osh, Lenin Peak & Arslanbob Walnut Forest Southern – Using Osh as a hub, head up to the Alay Valley to view Lenin Peak, then descend to the mountain village of Arslanbob.
• Kyrgyzstan North-South Traverse – Travel from Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul over mountain passes to Arslanbob, Osh, and Lenin Peak, covering seven major regions.
• Eastern Pamir & Karakul Lake Round-Trip from Osh – A round-trip journey from Osh to the Eastern Pamirs, featuring Peak Lenin, Karakul Lake, and the Ak-Baital Pass, avoidi…