Sulaiman-Too and Osh

Rising abruptly from the heart of Osh in Kyrgyzstan's south, Sulaiman-Too, the Throne of Solomon, is a craggy limestone mountain revered as a place of pilgrimage for over a thousand years and Kyrgyzstan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2009. Its slopes are dotted with ancient shrines, caves, petroglyphs and mosques, and a museum built into the rock. Below spreads Osh itself, one of Central Asia's oldest cities, some three thousand years old, famous for its huge, teeming Jayma Bazaar, a Silk Road market still thriving today.

What you actually see

• Sulaiman-Too - the sacred pilgrimage mountain and its shrines.
• The petroglyphs and caves - the ancient rock art and grottoes.
• The Jayma Bazaar - the vast, ancient Silk Road market of Osh.
• The summit views - the panorama over Osh and the valley.

When to go

April to October, for the warmest weather, though the southern lowland summers are hot; the sacred mountain draws pilgrims year-round, and climbing it in the cooler morning is best. Osh's great bazaar is liveliest and most colourful in the mornings.

Honest expectations

Osh is a hot, dusty, workaday southern city rather than a polished tourist destination, and the sacred mountain, while historically and spiritually significant, is a modest climb with shrines rather than grand monuments; visit with respect for the pilgrims. As a living pilgrimage site, an ancient Silk Road city and a thriving traditional bazaar, though, it offers a fascinating, authentic slice of Central Asian history and culture.

Nearby

The Fergana Valley, the Pamir Highway and the Alay mountains are within reach.