Things to see and do Osh

Dominating the west bank of the river, the hill of Solomon's throne was called until the 15th century "Bara Kukh", the "Wonderful Mountain". A sacred water source flowed there until the beginning of the last century. Solomon, the mythical founder of Osh, is said to have been enthroned on top of this hill and is also said to be buried there. The legends surrounding the life and death of King Solomon are as numerous as they are contradictory, but have not prevented the hill from becoming one of the most famous holy places in Central Asia over the centuries. And if the mosque built on the hill reminds us that Mohammed himself would have come to worship there, the site was sacred long before the Islamic period, as the rites of the pilgrims, largely tinged with shamanism, still testify. According to archaeological findings on the site, the oldest construction dates back to the Pre-Mongolian period. A mausoleum, erected by Sultan Makhmudkhan, became a high place of pilgrimage until its destruction in the middle of the 20th century. The last Timurid khan, Babur, also had a khoudj built in the 15th century: a small prayer hall with an iwan, probably destroyed by the Soviets (an accidental explosion for which no investigation was able to establish responsibility) and rebuilt after independence. A French woman, Marie Bourdon, who went to Osh in 1877, tells how pilgrims, in order to cure their illnesses, had to stick their heads three times through a crevice in the rock next to the mosque erected by Babur. The hill itself, whose shape evokes the silhouette of a pregnant woman, has become the object of a ritual by all newlyweds (and their mothers) praying for the rapid arrival of a first child. On the left side of the path, during the ascent, you will see a large stone completely smooth: this is where women expecting a child let themselves slide to promote their fertility. Even today, pilgrims still come to Osh every day to climb the hill, rubbing shoulders with tourists for whom the main motivation remains the panoramic view of the city. There is a small mausoleum on the observation platform at the top, where an imam recites continuous prayers. Below, a large Muslim cemetery seems to have partly burned down: the earth is burnt on a good half of the ground. Finally, at the bottom of the hill are the Assaf Boukhia mausoleum and the Jami Ravat Abdullah Khan mosque, which has become a place of worship again since independence.

This park located along the river seems to serve as a spillway for the bazaar which is just a stone's throw away. It is very lively, the chaikhanas are full almost all day long, and one can join the chess players in hard games. The other stands are classics of Central Asia: rifle shooting, merry-go-rounds, punching-ball... The chaikhanas in the central square mainly serve ice cream, pastries and cold drinks. Set back, under the trees, others have paid more attention to comfort by having attractive sofas and serving compound dishes like simple chachlyks all day long. In the evening, the stands are full until 10pm, with groups of friends, young couples in love, lost tourists, aksakals and babushkas watching the time go by without getting tired of it for a second! In the centre, a Yak 40 seems to be stranded at the top of the waterfalls, and attracts all the kids in the park who regularly test the strength of its wings. This is the version, repainted in blue, and now harmless, of the old Yakovlevs that once linked Bishkek to Osh: a tight flight between the mountains. The only reassuring thing to know as you climbed in is that only Afghanistan veterans were able to fly them! It was scrapped some time ago and replaced by much safer Boeing. The park is a good place to feel the general atmosphere of the city while breathing a breath of fresh air along the river.

The Osh bazaar is the most impressive in Kyrgyzstan, and can certainly enter the race for the most attractive in Central Asia. He wakes up every day from 7 am, when the smoke of the first chachlyks begins to invade the alleys between which, in the summer, tarpaulins are stretched to allow movement in the shade. The merchants eat before tackling the meticulous setting up of their merchandise, which is always very neat. Like all Central Asian markets, the Osh Bazaar is divided into several sectors: a few tourist souvenir shops as you arrive from Alisher Navoï street, then textiles, fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, kumiss, textiles, boots and accessories for horses, yurt building material... You can get lost in the maze of aisles, navigate on sight between the stands and avoid being jostled by the cart pushers ( osh !osh!"). The bazaar is so important in daily life that a small prayer room has been set up there. You will also be able to have your meal there for a very modest budget, either by settling down in one of the tchaikhanas, or by tasting the various products sold ready to eat (salads, dried fish, kuruts...) You will find there enough food if you go to Tajikistan, where supplies are more random, as well as local specialities, such as red rice from Uzgen or pistachios from Arslanbob.

CBT runs several bed and breakfasts in Osh. In addition to basic tourist information, you can book your plane tickets or plan your crossing of the Uzbek or Chinese border via Irkhestam (visas must be obtained in Bishkek). CBT Osh also offers a wide range of treks in Kyrgyz-Ata National Reserve (1 to 3 days), to the Alay Mountains (2 to 3 days) or to Lenin Peak Base Camp (7 days). These tours can be arranged and carried out on foot or on horseback or a combination of both.

This strange museum has been set up in the largest of the caves on the cliff. It presents the different religions that were once followed in the region: Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Islam. The different places of worship are represented by cardboard and pasteboard reconstructions. Don't miss the cave called "stone fantasy", a marvel of useless kitsch. On the first floor, after a staircase full of stuffed animals, there is a large vaulted room that is almost empty, but offers a beautiful view of the valley from its bay window.

This agency has two other offices, in Tashkent and Moscow. It organizes treks in Kyrgyzstan for all levels and in all areas up to high level mountaineering. Its services are reliable, the guides and accompanying cooks have real skills, including language skills, and the drivers are punctual. And if you feel like going off the beaten track, you can go wandering in the remotest parts of the country without anxiety: knowledge of the terrain is one of the best assets of Pamir Expeditions.

This museum is a small architectural feat, since it was set up in a yurt with... three floors! And yet it's made sense for years. An ideal setting for discovering local and particularly nomadic customs. An interesting collection of photographs on the different minorities present in the country and their daily life before the Soviet standardization can be detailed through various objects and tools. Beautiful photographs also of Osh, and especially a very nice collection of shyrdaks.

On the road to Tajikistan rises, majestic, the second highest peak of the Pamir massif. Located in the northern Pamir Mountains, in the Zaalaiskiy mountain range, on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, its summit is 7,134 m high. In 2006, the Lenin Peak was renamed "Independence Peak" but the name given to the Russian revolutionary leader has remained in common usage.

Despite its impressive altitude of 7,134 metres, the "ease" of access to its summit makes it the world's busiest "7,000". And every year numerous expeditions criss-cross its slopes following the different ascent routes. As a result, numerous camps are set up throughout the Atchyk Tash base camp, located at an altitude of 3,750 metres. They are managed by different Kyrgyz tour operators based in Bishkek and it is very easy to book a place for the night or to camp around them. The difficulty will be to reach the base camp, the best solution being to share a 4x4 with other travelers, as the Osh Guesthouse or CBT in Osh does.

Everywhere around the base camp, climbers walk around, loaded with all their equipment, to acclimatize before the start, waiting for the right weather window. But you don't need to be a mountaineer to climb from the base camp up the gently sloping plain to a splendid panorama dominated by the peak itself. It was first climbed in 1928 by the German-Russian team of climbers Karl Wien, Eugene Allwein and Erwin Schneider. It remained the highest peak in the Soviet Union for five years, until an expedition managed to climb Ismail Samani Peak, located about 100 kilometres to the southwest, and to accurately measure its altitude, which was 361 metres higher! Although Lenin Peak is easily accessible, the history of its ascents is marred by the heaviest death toll in the history of mountaineering: in 1990, during an earthquake, Camp 2 was buried and 43 climbers died.

As a simple walker, you will be able to wander around the base camps: it is an enchantment (apart from being out of breath after only a few metres!) of greenery and mountain pastures dominated by the peak which, unfortunately, can often be lost in the mist or clouds. You will console yourself by counting the countless marmots but don't sympathize too much, some of them are on the menu of the day in the campsites!