Osh is Kyrgyzstan’s second largest city and the administrative centre of the Kyrgyz side of the Fergana Valley. It is one of the region’s most ancient towns with a history stretching back to the 5th century BC and legends tell of it being founded by all sorts of people from King Solomon to Alexander the Great. It was a major hub on the Silk Road and although sacked by the Mongols in the 13th century, its prominent position on the trade route ensured its financial stability. Today it has a strong Uzbek feel which is unsurprising as 40% of the population are Uzbeks. The town stands on the Pamir Highway heading into Tadjikistan and attracts climbers heading into the Pamir ranges.

The huge daily Jayma Bazaar is one of Central Asia’s best markets and is crowded with Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Tadjiks buying and selling everything you could imagine from traditional clothes to farm tools. It is spread out along the river and is at its busiest on Sunday. Just outside the town is a rocky outcrop known as Solomon’s Throne. It’s long been a place of Muslim pilgrimage as Mohammed is supposed to have once prayed here.