Above Nurek on the Sanglokh ridge sits the Sanglokh Optical-Electronic Observatory, a Soviet-built facility designed in the 1980s to track satellites and observe deep space. The high altitude and dry, clear air made it one of the best optical observation sites in the USSR. The complex is now operated by Russian and Tajik authorities.
The road up is rough and the facility is not open to general visitors, but the trip up the mountain — through Tajik villages and into open high pasture — is a worthwhile drive for the views alone. Local drivers in Nurek can be hired for the half-day trip. Permits are not required for the road but check locally on the current security situation.