Aflatun Zone is located on the southeastern slopes of the Chatkal Ridge and occupies the basin of the Aflatun River — the largest right tributary of the Kara-Suu River in the Jalal-Abad region. The distance from the city of Osh to the zone is about 320 km along the highway leading to the village of Aflatun.
From the village of Aflatun, an unpaved road runs upstream along the river, reaching the Batrakhan Forest Reserve of the Aflatun Forestry. The reserve spans an area of 304 hectares on the slopes of the Aflatun River gorge, from an altitude of 1500 m to 2500 m. It was established in 1975 to protect a section of forest consisting of the Semenov fir — an endemic species of the Tian Shan. The Semenov fir can only be found in Kyrgyzstan; it does not grow anywhere else in the world. This tree is remarkably beautiful, has dense lush evergreen foliage, and reaches a height of 30 m.
The fir predominantly grows on shady slopes with a steepness of over 30 degrees, can thrive on rocky soils, but requires good moisture. In southern Kyrgyzstan, entire forests of Semenov fir have been preserved in the Chatkal Ridge. It usually grows alongside spruce. The wood of the fir is highly valued, significantly surpassing spruce in quality. It is light, soft, yet very strong. Additionally, fir resin is used to produce a balm that heals wounds, and the foliage is used to extract essential oil, which is utilized in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries.
In the area of the reserve, the Uu-Tor tributary flows into the Aflatun from the right. At the confluence, there is a massive tower of weathered sandstones about 300 m high. This rock resembles a Central Asian fortress, with its base framed by millennia-old walnut trees that wrap around several times. Through their dense canopy, the pointed peaks of the Semenov fir can be seen in places. At the upper reaches of the Tuyuk — a tributary of Uu-Tor — there is a picturesque waterfall. Water cascades down a rocky wall several dozen meters high.
Where the right tributary Itagar flows into the Aflatun, there are interesting rocky "gates" up to 20 m wide. The Aflatun gorge is very beautiful. Its bottom and almost the entire northern slope are covered by dense fir forest. The southern slope is covered with thickets of Eremurus. Steep limestone rock walls, hanging in massive blocks, are found everywhere.
A very attractive confluence of the Aflatun and its tributary Oi-Alma is located about 10 km upstream from the reserve. Here, the valley widens and delights the eye with lush green meadows and fir forests. The left slope of Oi-Alma is gentler, showing signs of landslides and rockfalls. The steep right slope is overgrown with spruces. In the upper reaches, both gorges narrow significantly — this is where the realm of alpine meadows begins. From the upper reaches of Oi-Alma, the only "raspberry path" leads through the Kuldam-Bes Pass (2800 m) to the "Sary-Chelek" zone, named for the dense thickets of raspberries that stretch over a large distance.
In the upper reaches of the Uu-Tor tributary, 25 km from the reserve, there are several interesting passes over the main watershed of the Chatkal Ridge: Aflatun West (3370 m), Sunny (3620 m), Aflatun Middle (3364 m). Passes through the southern spurs — 30 years of the Tashkent Tractor Plant and Osh tourists — lead to the basin of the Padsha-Ata River. The highest point of the axial ridge of the Chatkal Ridge within the zone reaches 4340 m.
The zone has a hunting economy called Aflatun, where licenses can be obtained for hunting wild boars, ibex, grouse, and hares.
