Russian citizens do not need a visa to travel to Osh; it is enough to have Russian and foreign passports and a migration card. It is advisable to carry documents with you at all times during your stay in the country.
Transport
Operates in Osh major airport, serving local and international airlines. It is convenient to move around the city by buses, trolleybuses and minibus taxis. Since road transport predominates in Osh, you can use the services of private taxis or hitchhike. It is better for city guests to travel around Osh and explore local attractions before 9 pm, since then getting to a hotel or rented home will be problematic.
Accommodation
To stay in Osh, you can choose one of the many hotels, stay at a children's camp site near Mount Suleiman-Too, or rent housing in the private sector.
Attractions
The centuries-old history of Osh is reflected in its appearance in the most interesting way: here you can immerse yourself in the exoticism of the Ancient East with its bazaars, caravanserais, magnificent architecture of mosques and minarets. In the city it is worth visiting the Sacred Mountain Suleiman-Too - object World Heritage UNESCO, Ak-Bura fortress, Takht-i-Suleiman Mosque, local history complex "Great Silk Road", medieval bathhouse, local history museum in the cave of Mount Suleiman-Too, the Surot-Tash rock, known for many rock paintings dating back to the 1st millennium BC.
One of the most colorful places in the city is the bazaar, where you can buy anything. Here you can stock up on national souvenirs made by skilled local artisans, oriental talismans, amulets, and incense.
Numerous legends connect the founding of the city with the names of Alexander the Great and the prophet Suleiman (Solomon).
Scientists are still arguing about the etymology of the city’s name and cannot come to a single solution that would suit them all. And this is due to the fact that its roots go very deep into centuries. Cult ministers naturally associate the origin of Osh with legends and, of course, associated with the biblical Sulaiman (King Solomon). So, one of the legends says that once the king was leading his army, and in front he was driving a pair of oxen with a plow. When the oxen reached the famous mountain, Solomon said: “Hosh!” (i.e. “pretty”). Therefore, some believe that this is how the name of the city came about. However, oddly enough, none of these legends explains either the origin of the city or the etymology of its name, but still testifies to the antiquity of the agricultural activities of the inhabitants of these places.
Thus, there is no doubt that Osh is the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan and one of the oldest urban centers Central Asia, not necessary. The written history of the city goes back over a thousand years, and archaeological finds, meanwhile, take the foundation of the city back 3 thousand years.
The emergence of Osh is associated with the settlement of ancient farmers of the Bronze Age, discovered on the southern slope of Suleiman Mountain, considered sacred since time immemorial and containing evidence of ancient cults of the Islamic period.
The further development of the city is connected with geographical location city, which is located in a fertile valley at the foot of the Pamirs, Pamir-Alai.
Due to its situational location, Osh was a crossing point on the trade caravan routes of antiquity and the Middle Ages from India and China to Europe. One of the branches of the Great Silk Road, which was the most important trade artery of antiquity, connecting the East with the West, passed here.
The trading city of Osh was very famous for its bazaars and caravanserais. And the main bazaar, located on the left bank of the Ak-Bura River, was a classic example of an eastern covered market - tim. For more than two thousand years, the main bazaar in Osh has been living its noisy and vibrant life, changing its buildings and expanding its boundaries, but still remaining in the same place, chosen in ancient times.
In ancient times, Osh was one of the religious Muslim centers of Central Asia. This is largely due to the Suleiman-Too mountain located on the territory of the city, which legends and folk tales endow with extraordinary power and the ability to heal any ailments of pilgrims.
In 1876, Osh was annexed to Russia after its preliminary conquest by the Khanate of Kokand. Since 1876, Osh has been a district city, and since 1939, the center of the Osh region in Kyrgyzstan.
Modern Osh is the industrial center of Kyrgyzstan. Here is located one of the largest cotton mills in Central Asia, a silk mill, enterprises in the construction industry, metalworking, mechanical engineering, enterprises in the light, food, and woodworking industries, and an airport.
Attractions
The most significant of the city’s religious buildings: the Alymbek Paravanchi Datka madrasah, the Mukhamedboy Turk Khal Muratbaev madrasah are magnificent examples of the Fergana architectural and construction school.
The city has many parks and historical and cultural monuments: Sadykbay Mosque, Shahid-Tepa Mosque, medieval bathhouse; memorial complex "Evening Fire"; monuments: V.I. Lenin, Toktogul Satylganov, Abdykadyrov, Sultan Ibraimov, Orozbekov, Kurmanzhan-Datka, Alisher Navoi; Osh settlement: cave “Echo of Love”, grotto “ bird home»; most beautiful places: Kyl-Kuprik, Beshik-Tash, Chakki-Tamar, Kol-Tash, Sylyk-Tash; as well as an ancient cemetery and petroglyphs. Along with the monuments of the Muslim cult, in the central square of the city there is the only monument in the city of Russian Orthodox architecture of the early 20th century, the Archangel Michael Church. Unfortunately, this monument had to endure all the hardships associated with the “cultural revolution” of the Soviet regime, but in 1991 it was returned to the Orthodox religious community.
Unfortunately, from ancient Osh to the present day, neither a fortress wall with three gates, nor a citadel surrounded by a shakhristan, nor a cathedral mosque near the bazaar have survived - by the way, another important symbol of the city, which is already more than two thousand years old. This is a real chaotic oriental bazaar with narrow streets, numerous kebab shops, mountains of colorful spices, fruits and local rickshaws. There is always a lively trade in amulets, talismans, potions and spices in the narrow streets of the market. To some it seems like stupid oriental exoticism, to others it is embarrassed by the lack of comfort. The city authorities have repeatedly tried to give the Osh bazaar a “Europeanized” look, but the merchants and the townspeople stubbornly stand their ground. So now it turns out that compact shops are interspersed from time to time with scattered shopping arcades. Ice cream (very tasty and very inexpensive), drinks, wristwatches - from one merchant to another it is just one step. But once you get here, you can be sure that in this place you will find almost everything you were looking for. Another very pleasant and characteristic feature of oriental bazaars is that when buying goods, it is customary to bargain here.
It is worth noting that ancient city Osh is a great place to start hiking And mountain climbing, and among foreigners it is known primarily as a transit point on the way to the Pamir mountain camp.
And another feature of the city is its successful geographical location. From here you can get to one of the oldest Uyghur cities - the mysterious Kashgar, and climb the Pamir or Tien Shan mountains. From here you can travel to another part of the Fergana Valley, which is under the jurisdiction of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The Osh region is famous for the largest caves in all of Kyrgyzstan: Chil-Ustun, Chil-Mayram, Keklik-Too.
The entrance to the Chil-Ustun stalactite cave is located almost on a sheer cliff at an altitude of 250 meters. The name of the cave is translated into Russian as “Forty Columns”. This cave is one of the places in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan where pilgrims come. The legend of the cave says that if a person has committed many grave sins, then they will all sink into the abyss and oblivion. And if the traveler walks along the steep rocky slope and returns unharmed to the foot of the mountain, then all his sins will be forgiven. And a crushed pebble brought from Chil-Ustun can cure any disease. The Abshir-say tract is famous for its interesting karst waterfall-source.
The Chon-Alai district of the Osh region is the place where one of the two seven-thousanders in the country is located - Lenin Peak. (7134 meters). Climbing Lenin Peak is a difficult mountaineering climb, which can only be achieved by people who have experience in high-altitude mountaineering (at least Elbrus). In addition to experience, willpower and endurance, in order to climb Lenin Peak, you need to have quite expensive climbing equipment, clothing and shoes.
So, although the city of Osh is not as comfortable as the capital of the country, it does not have numerous government and administrative buildings, its simplicity and traditionalism will undoubtedly charm arriving guests. And when you have an exciting and adventurous journey ahead, Osh becomes the last island of civilization.
Suleiman-Too
Osh is surrounded on three sides by hills and low rocky spurs of the Alai Range. Being practically under the “roof of the world”, you will be able to feel the breath of the mighty and majestic mountains Pamir-Alai. But the main evidence of their presence is, of course, the five-domed Suleiman Mountain (Suleiman-Too), rising in the very center of the city. This is one of the spurs of the Alai Range, which is a rock more than 100 meters high.
Mount Suleiman-Too became the country's first World Heritage Site in June 2009.
Suleiman-Too (“mountain of Suleiman”) or Takhti-Suleiman (“throne of Suleiman,” that is, the biblical king Solomon), located right in the center of the city. Already in the 10th century, pilgrims from all over Asia were drawn to this rocky hill, inconspicuous at first glance, because since time immemorial it is believed that it was here that the prophet Suleiman addressed God, and the imprints of his forehead and knees remained on the stones. Above this holy place for every Muslim, Muhammad Zahiriddin Babur (1483 - 1530), the great-grandson of Timur and the founder of the Mughal dynasty, built a small hudjra (cell) with a mihrab, on the site of which today stands a white-stone mosque and the “house of Babur”, recreated from archival sources " According to legend, it is on this mountain that a woman can ask God to send her a child, and the legendary “test path” leads to the top, along which, according to legend, no unfaithful wife can ever pass.
Mount Takhti-Suleiman even in the early Middle Ages had cult significance for all believers, especially for fire worshipers. There is even an assumption that the prophet of Zoroastrianism and the creator of the holy book “Avesta” Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) lived and created his teachings in a cave on Mount Suleiman-Too. One of the earliest temples of the Zoroastrian water-fire cult existed here (the temple of the Ohsho River, Yakhsha-Osh and Fire). Perhaps the name of the city comes from these words. Hundreds of petroglyphs are carved on rocky mountain outcrops, stone slabs, and on the walls of caves and grottoes. Those who are especially curious can climb the mountain itself, from where an excellent panorama of the city of Osh opens. Here it is clearly visible, you can stand for a long time and admire the magnificent landscape: below is the bustling city life, in the distance are the Great Mountains breathing calm and confidence.
Another attraction of the mountain is an architectural monument, the unipolar Takhti-Suleiman Mosque - unique in its location, because it was built on eastern peak Mount Suleiman-Too, at an altitude of almost 150 meters. In recent decades, this building was associated with the name of Muhammad Zahiriddin Babur, a descendant of Amir Timur, and was called Babur’s house.
At the foot of the mountain are the most famous mosques of the city (mausoleum of Asaf-ibn-Burkhia (11th - 17th centuries), Rawat-Abdullahan mosque (17th - 18th centuries), Mohammed Yusuf Baykhodzhi-Ogly mosque (1909)).
The Mausoleum of Asaf ibn Bukhria is an architectural monument of the 18th - 19th centuries, located at the foot of the eastern slope of Suleiman-Too. According to folk legends, the mausoleum is named after the mythical associate of King Suleiman (Solomon) Asaf ibn Bukhriy, who bequeathed to bury him after his death at the foot of this mountain, which, according to legend, was fulfilled. And over his grave an architectural structure was erected, which over its centuries-long history was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt by new generations.
All these architectural monuments are part of the Osh United Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.
- It is best to purchase air tickets at least 2 months before the flight; in this case, savings can be up to -40%. Then the cost increases and reaches its peak two weeks before departure.
- The price may vary by up to 71% depending on the availability and size of baggage, the day of the week and the time of day the plane flies.
- Midweek morning flights are cheaper than Friday evening and weekend flights.
- Round-trip air tickets are on average -39% cheaper than buying two tickets separately.
- During the low season, airlines and travel agencies often sell discounted and last-minute tickets and hold various promotions and sales.
- During the high season, it is possible to order tickets not only for regular ones, but also for charter flights in a general package with a vacation package. Tickets for such flights can be booked much cheaper than usual.
- The most low prices- April, March and November.
- The most expensive months- June, September, August.
- The average cost of flights Moscow - Osh is 4556 RUR.
Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Time and time zones
The length of an earthly day is determined by the time it takes the Earth to rotate around its axis, and is 24 hours. Local solar time corresponds to the apparent position of the Sun and is constantly changing due to the rotation of the Earth. When moving from west to east by 15° longitude, local solar time increases by 1 hour.
Formal language is used in everyday life local time, which is different from the solar one. The entire surface of the Earth is divided into time zones (in other terminology - time zones). Within the same time zone, the same time is used. The boundaries of time zones, as a rule, coincide with interstate or administrative boundaries. The time difference between adjacent time zones is usually one hour, although in some cases the time in adjacent time zones differs by two hours, 30 or 45 minutes.
For most countries in the world, the entire territory of the country is within the same time zone. The territory of countries that extend from west to east over a considerable distance, such as Russia, USA, Canada, Brazil and a number of others, is usually divided into several time zones. The exception is China, throughout which Beijing time is used.
The reference point for determining the time zone offset is Coordinated Universal Time or UTC. UTC corresponds to the mean solar time at the prime or Greenwich meridian. Time zone offsets relative to UTC range from UTC-12:00 to UTC+14:00.
Almost all countries in Europe and North America, as well as a number of other countries, move their clocks forward an hour in the spring, by summer time, and in the fall - an hour ago, to winter time. The offset of the respective time zones relative to UTC changes twice a year. In most countries of the world, the transition to summer and winter time is not practiced.
In ancient times, knowing the exact time was not a daily need for humans. It was enough to determine the outcome of the day, and the main criterion for this was the position of the sun in the sky. The solar day begins exactly at noon, and this time is determined by the location of the shadows on the sundial. For many years and centuries, this method was the main one and was used to count days. But the development of society and technological progress inexorably began to require accurate knowledge of not only days, but also hours and minutes. After the sun clock, the hourglass appeared, and is now used to measure exact minutes during medical procedures and laboratory research, as well as tower, table, wall, and wrist.
The need for accurate time in modern life.
Why you need to know exact time? IN modern world without this, the entire way of life would be disrupted, giving way to chaos and disorder. They would freeze transport system and industry, people would be late for school and work. Buses, trains and planes fly according to a schedule tied to an exact time. Modern financial relationships, which include such a word as “overdue,” cannot exist separately from exact hours, minutes and seconds.
Time Zones
The territory of the earth is so vast that in one part globe the sun sets, and at the same time in another place people wake up under the rays of the rising star. To organize geographic distances relative to precise time, scientists came up with time zones. The earth's surface is theoretically divided into 24 such zones: according to the number of hours in a day. The conventional band is approximately 15°, and within this interval the time differs by an hour from the time of the neighboring ones, +/-. The countdown is based on the Greenwich meridian and this time is called “Greenwich Time” (GMT). Recently, they began to use a more advanced reference system - Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Exact time online
In Soviet times in Russia, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin was the standard of time. They were the ones that were verified for accuracy, and all other clocks in the country, young and old, were measured against them. Today, the exact time with seconds can be found on specialized websites on the Internet, for which you just need to go to their pages. In this case, the exact time will change online, and you can easily navigate by time zones to find out what time it is this moment in Los Angeles, Moscow or Yekaterinburg.
