Osh - one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, located on the southeastern edge of the Fergana Valley at the northern foothills of the Pamir-Alai. Surrounded by greenery, it stretches along the banks of the mountain river Ak-Buura at an altitude of 940-1070 meters above sea level.
During the celebration of the 3000th anniversary of the city of Osh, which took place in October 2000, the country's president Askar Akayev proclaimed the city of Osh as the southern capital of Kyrgyzstan. The venerable age of the city is evidenced by the rock drawings and inscriptions found on the southern slope of the four-headed Suleiman Mountain.
In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, Osh stood at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road. Osh is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. It is an oasis irrigated by the waters of the Ak-Buura river flowing down from the Pamirs, where weary caravans rested after crossing the heavenly mountains of the Pamirs.
The trading city of Osh was famous for its bazaars and caravanserais. For more than two thousand years, the main bazaar in Osh has lived its own life. Changing its boundaries, it remains true to the place where it once arose in ancient times.
The modern Osh bazaar is the most popular tourist attraction. The Craftsmen's Street and the Fruit Rows are particularly popular. According to most tourists traveling along the routes of the Great Silk Road, the Osh bazaar is the most interesting in Central Asia in terms of trade volume, exoticism, and the strength of impressions.
According to bibliographic sources, by the end of the 19th century, there were 154 mosques and about a dozen madrasahs in Osh. Several architectural monuments from various periods of its history have survived to this day. Among them are the mausoleum of Asaf ibn Burhiya (17th-18th centuries), the mosque of Rovat Abdulla-Khan (16th-17th centuries), the mosque of Muhammad Yusup Bay-hodji-Ogly, the mosque of Alymbek Datka (19th century), and about 30 other historical monuments.
The main attraction of Osh is the four-headed Suleiman Mountain (Takh-i-Suleiman), rising almost in the center of the city. Remains of a settlement dating back to the late Bronze Age (12th-7th centuries BC) were discovered on the southern slope of the mountain, which determined the 3000-year age of the city. Ancient Osh (4th century BC - 5th century AD) was an important point on the Great Silk Road, and to this time belong the ruins of numerous ancient fortresses on the outskirts of Osh: Mirzalym-Dyobo, Chayan-Dyobo, Otuz-Atyr, the fortress of Mady, and others.
