Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan and the centre of the south, a city of about 320,000 on the Ak-Buura River at the eastern edge of the Fergana Valley. UNESCO puts the city's age at more than three thousand years; it was one of the great markets of the Silk Road, joined the Russian Empire in 1876 and today its Kyrgyz and Uzbek populations are almost equal in size. Sulaiman-Too, the mountain in the middle of the city, has been the only UNESCO World Heritage Site lying entirely within Kyrgyzstan since 2009; a place of pilgrimage for thousands of years, the rock with its petroglyphs, its cave museum and the small building bearing Babur's name is the heart of a visit. The 16th century mosque and 18th century mausoleum at the foot of the mountain and the Uzgen minaret an hour to the north east are the historical side; Osh is also the gateway south to the Alay Valley and the Pamir Highway.
Looking for cheap flights or monthly payment flight packages to Osh?
Suso is a travel-planning platform that turns your Osh trip from Turkey into a buy now, pay later flight package: the ticket is issued by travel agencies, booking sites or airlines, and the payment plan runs on consumer credit from partner finance institutions. One click in the basket completes the purchase and the financing together; you pay over 3 to 24 months. No credit card limit needed.
See flights to Osh →When to visit Osh
April to June and September to October are the easiest periods: days of 20C to 28C, a comfortable climb of Sulaiman-Too and, in September, markets full of melons, grapes and walnuts. In July and August the valley passes 30C and the climb is done early in the morning or late in the afternoon; these months are the best time for the Alay Valley to the south and the high mountain roads. Winter is cold and at times snowy, and mountain passes can close. Nowruz on 21 March is the city's busiest festival.
Things to do in Osh
Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain
The five peaked rocky mountain rising from the middle of the city has been held sacred since before Islam and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009; UNESCO describes it as the most complete example of a sacred mountain in Central Asia. Its slopes carry numerous petroglyphs, old places of worship and rock hollows linked to beliefs about healing and fertility, and prayer rags tied to the branches are still seen today. A stepped path reaches the top in half an hour, and from above the whole of Osh and the mountains to the south are visible. Late afternoon light is the best.
Sulaiman-Too National Historical and Archaeological Museum
The museum with its concrete facade set into the mouth of a natural cave on the mountainside opened in 1978 for the city's three thousandth anniversary; the institution itself was founded in 1949 as the Osh Regional Museum. Inside are Bronze Age finds from the Fergana Valley, the rock art of the mountain, objects of Kyrgyz nomadic life and natural history sections. The rock of the cave is left exposed as the walls of the halls. It sits on the path to the summit, and an hour is enough.
Babur's House
The small stone building on the highest peak of Sulaiman-Too is associated with the cell and prayer room built by Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, in his youth; Babur describes Osh and this mountain in his memoirs. The present building was rebuilt in the late 20th century and, as the emblem of the mountain, is visible from all over the city. The flat ground in front of it offers the widest view of Osh and the Fergana Valley; pilgrims pray here, and the queue for photographs grows longer in the late afternoon.
Rabat Abdullah Khan Mosque
The mosque at the northern foot of Sulaiman-Too is thought to have been built around 1580, in the reign of the Shaybanid ruler Abdullah Khan II, and is the oldest mosque in Osh. In the Soviet period it was used as a store, it was handed to the museum in 1963 and after a restoration completed in 1990 it became a Friday mosque again. Its brick and gypsum plaster work and simple courtyard make a good start to the climb. Entry is free, it is not visited at prayer times and women cover their heads.
Kurmanjan Datka Monument
The equestrian statue in the centre of Osh, where Masaliev and Kara-Suu streets meet, depicts Kurmanjan Datka (1811 to 1907), who ruled the Alay Kyrgyz in the 19th century. She took over the government of the region after the death of her husband Alymbek Datka, is remembered as the Queen of the South and is known for accepting Russian rule so that no more of her people's blood would be shed. The city's main north to south avenue also bears her name. The statue fits easily into the same day as the walk up Sulaiman-Too.
Uzgen Minaret and Karakhanid mausoleums
Uzgen, about 50 kilometres north east of Osh, was one of the capitals of the Karakhanids. The 11th century brick minaret now stands 27.5 metres tall; its uppermost section was added in 1923 and 1924. The three mausoleums next to it, with their carved terracotta and brick decoration, are among the finest Karakhanid work in Central Asia. The town is also known for the red Uzgen rice used in pilaf. It is an hour by car from Osh and fits into a half day trip.
Flights from Turkey to Osh
Direct flights to Osh from Turkey leave Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on Pegasus; the route runs several times a week with night departures and takes about 5 hours. The time difference is three hours and arrival is in the early morning. On other days the journey is made with a connection via Bishkek. Osh International Airport is about 9 kilometres north of the city centre; a taxi reaches the centre in 15 to 20 minutes, with the fare agreed before getting in, or a hotel transfer is arranged in advance.
Osh FAQ
How many days do you need in Osh?
A day for Sulaiman-Too, the cave museum and the mosque and mausoleum at the foot of the mountain and half a day for Uzgen are enough; plan two nights for the city. Adding the Alay Valley and the Pamir Highway to the south stretches it to a week. A tour of Kyrgyzstan combined with Bishkek or Lake Issyk-Kul takes ten days.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Osh International Airport is about 9 kilometres north of the city centre. A taxi takes 15 to 20 minutes; the fare is agreed before getting in, and a hotel transfer is the better choice for early morning arrivals. Sulaiman-Too is right next to the centre.
Do you need a visa for Kyrgyzstan?
Holders of an ordinary Turkish passport enter Kyrgyzstan without a visa and can stay up to 90 days within 180 days. Entry with an identity card is not possible and a valid passport is required. As rules can change, checking the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' current notice before travelling is recommended.
Buy now, pay later flights to Osh
Fly now, pay later. Plan your trip, pay over up to 24 months. One click at checkout sets up the plan, no credit card limit needed.
Search flights to Osh →