More Osh oblast places

Abishir-Sai Canyon : Osh : A picturesque canyon — with steep rocky sides, with the river Abshirisai flowing though it. The river emerges gushing from a cave in the rock face and falls through 30 m to the valley floor. The waters of the waterfall are thought to have curative properties and be holy. Pilgrims come fromfar and wide to bath in the spray and collect the water in bottles. Nearby is a hermit's cave and there is a legend of the holy man Idris turning the water into milk — then back to water again because it was of more use to the people than milk.

Achik Tash : Osh : A climbers camp on Peak Lenin.

Ak Terek : Osh : The village is located in the foothills of the Kara-Shoro park, by the Jassy river. There are many mineral springs nearby and the gorge is covered with walnut forests.

There is a group of residents, supported by the British Department for International Development, which can offer accommodation and other services, including a 6 day to jailoos of Besh Terek (=«five poplars»), Kara Dobo (= «Black hill») Baibiche and trek through the Kypchylma Pass (Kypchylma = «squeeze through» in Kyrgyz) to the Chytty jailoo ( = «cotton fabric») where there are the remains of an ancient Chinese/Kyrgyz trading post — Sogolon caravanserai. Further on it passes through Balam Kaldy (=«my babty was left here» — there is a story that a mother, moving to another pasture, dropped a cradle with her child into an abyss and was sadly unable to retrieve it). The trek continues along the Jassy ruver through the Kara Shoro park, rich in wildlife. On the way through to the Arpa valley (= «barley»), the trek carries on through a number of other jailoos — Aga Tan, Echki Tal, Shibiluu and Kuljauyk.

Alay Valley : Osh : On the North side of the High Parmir mountain range. The Kyzyl Suu (=Red Water) river flows through the 150 km valley which is some 60 km wide and runs east to west between the Parmir and Parmir Alai ranges of mountains.

Once a major route on the Silk Road, now it is scattered with dusty villages and is visible even from the slopes of Peak Lenin.

Alay Zhalpak Tash : Osh : Jost off the road between Osh and Sary Tash, archaeologists excavated a glass cup.

Chil Mairam : Osh : There area lot of caves not far from Osh airport in the east of the mountains of Chil Mairam.

Chili Sai Gorge : Osh : A little to the South of the small village of Eski Nookat — lies the Chili Sai Gorge, which contains a number of petroglypghs.

Duldul Ata : Osh : There are ancient petroglyphs dating from about 1000 BC on the rocks of Duldul Ata — figures of race horses named in honor of the saint Ali — who, according to legend left them here. See Aravan.

Kirkidan : Osh : To the West of Osh, close by the border with Uzbekistan, lies the site of an ancient settlement dating from between the 4th century BC and the 4th century AD.

Kuh I Garmo : Osh : (=Warm Mountain)

The new name given to Peak Lenin.

Kyrgyz Ata : Osh : (= «Father of the Kyrgyz») A national park in the mountains, south of the road between Osh and Kyzyl Kia, established to protect the archa forests which grow here.

Kyzyl Art : Osh : The road south from Osh to Tajikistan passes through Sary Tash where it meets the road to Irkeshtam and China. Further South it passes over the Kyzyl Art Pass into Tajikistan. At 4282m above sea level — this is the highest road in Kyrgyzstan.

Lukovaya Polyana : Osh : (= Wild Onion Field)

The last greenery before the stony moraines of the mountain slopes of Peak Lenin.

Mady : Osh : To the East of Osh, by the river Taldyk, lies the site of an ancient settlement dating from between the 10th and 12th centuries. The home of the Queen of the South — Kurmanjan Datka who is featured on the 50 som banknote.

Datka Kurmanjan Mamatbai kysy, (1811—1907) — was an outstanding stateswoman of the Kyrgyz Republic. She is sometimes known as «The Tsarina of Alai», as «Queen of the South». The word Datka means «General» and she was awarded the title twice. Born into a simple nomad family of the Mongush clan in the Alai mountains, at the age of 18 she was supposed to marry a man whom she didn«t see until her wedding day — when she met him, she didn»t like himand broke with tradition — deciding to stay with her father in his yurt. In 1832, the feudal lord, Alimbek — who had taken the title Datka and ruled all the Kyrgyz of the Alai, freed her from the «marriage contract» and married her. Alimbek died after a palace coup in 1862, and Kurmanjan gathered around her the faithful «batyrs» — heroes. She went on to be govern the Alai, was recognized by the khans of Bukhara and Kokand, later marrying one of the batyrs. In 1876 the Alai region joined the Russian Emppire. Two of her sons and two of her grandsons were accused of «contraband»and of murdering customs officials — and even her status could not help save them. When her favourite son was executed,(hung in the main square of Osh), she refused the urging of some of her followers to effect a rescue, saying that she would not her private hopes and ambitions be the cause of suffering for her people. The others were then exiled to penal servitude in Siberia, and Kurmanjan (suffering from insult and shame) retired from public life — giving away all her property and leading a hermit like existence in a village, refusing all visitors. She died on 1st February in the village of Mady, near to Osh — gripping the dressing gown of her favourite son. She was survived by 2 sons, 2 daughters, 31 grandsons, 57 great grandsons and 6 great-great-grandsons. She is also thought to have been a poetess.

Peak Lenin : Osh : On the border with Tajikistan — the mountain rises to a height of 7134m. It was the third highest mountain in the former Soviet Union and is shaped something like a «high armchair». Once called Peak Kaufman after a Russian Governor General, it was renamed in hour of the Soviet leader, and has now been renamed Kuh-i-Gamo, (Warm Mountain).

The mountain has a reputation as a high altitude «walk-up» (easy climb) and so is popular with climbers — it is one of the most climbed 7000 m mountains in the world. Although many mountaineers gain high altitude experience here — dozens of experienced climbers have also died on the mountain, especially as the result of extreme and unpredictable weather. In particular it was the scene of two major mountaineering tragedies. In 1974 an 8-woman team was caught by a storm and wanting to show that an all woman team could succeed they decided not to descend but to wait out the storm. Unfortunately, after their tents had been shredded by the wind, they perished one by one — the last maintaining radio contact with the outside world until the very end. Then in 1991 an earthquake triggered an icefall which trapped 44 climbers in the camp below. Only one survived, another body was found — but no other remains of the remaining 42 have ever been discovered. It is said to be the world's worst ever mountaineering tragedy.

The main base camp is known as Achik Tash. Nearby is Lukovaya Polyana (= Wild Onion Field) — the last greenery before the stony moraines of the mountain slopes.

Sary Tash : Osh : A small village at the junction of the road from Osh to China — via Irkeshtam — and Tajikistan — via the Kyzyl Art pass.

Shoro Bashat : Osh : Just inside the border with both Uzbekistan and Djalal Abad oblast lies the site of an ancient settlement which dates from the 4th century BC through until the 5th century AD.

Surat Tash : Osh : There are ancient petroglyphs dating from about 1000 BC on the rocks of Surat Tash.

Talgyy Pass : Osh : Between Torugart and Irkesthtam, this mountain pass (3668 m.) once served as one of the main routes from China. Now the road from Osh stops short of the border at the village of Kek Art

Terek Bawan Pass — This pass between Kyrgyzstan and China is not open as a border crossing today — but it was used, for example, in 1915, by Percy Sykes, and his sister Ella as they traveled to Kashgar where he was to take up the post of British Consul after a long train journey through Russia. Having arrived by train in Andijan (Uzbekistan) they were joined in Osh by some of their staff from the consulat in Kashgar and began the final leg of their journey — a 260 kilometer trek over the mountains. En route they met a large number of people — merchants bringing goods to trade.

Tar Canyon : Osh : The river Tar is a tributary of the Kara Darya river which flows from the East to the South of Uzgen and then down into the Ferghana Valley. Canyons rich with a variety of fauna and flora including shrubs and pistachio trees, two lakes, petroglyphs, a cave 910 m long and many springs of mineral water.