Osh is the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan and one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, with a history stretching back over 3,000 years. Sitting in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country, it has always been a trading city, and its bazaar -- which sprawls along the Ak-Buura River -- is one of the most atmospheric markets in the region.
The city's defining landmark is Sulaiman-Too (Solomon's Mountain), a UNESCO World Heritage Site that rises from the center of town. The rocky outcrop has been a place of Islamic pilgrimage for centuries, and the caves and pathways that wind up its slopes offer panoramic views over the city and the valley beyond. A museum built into the mountain and a reconstructed mosque said to date to the teenage Babur are reasons to keep climbing.
Osh has a different feel from Bishkek. It is warmer, more conservative, and more Central Asian in character. The population is a mix of Kyrgyz and Uzbek, and the city experienced serious ethnic violence in 1990 and again in 2010. Today it is calm, but the divisions remain visible in the neighborhoods and the politics.
The city is also a base for trekking and mountaineering in the Pamir-Alay range to the south, and a transit point for travelers heading to or from the Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan.