Located in the Fergana Valley is Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city - the sprawling Osh, with its 255,000 inhabitants, is popularly known as the capital of southern Kyrgyzstan. The ancient city is Kyrgyzstan's oldest, with 3,000 years of history. At one point, it was a popular spot for silk production, to be sold along the ancient Silk Road. The city retains some of its Soviet roots, being one of the few in Kyrgyzstan to have not removed Lenin's name from its street maps, and even boasting a huge Lenin statue directly across from the city's administrative center.
Daily flights link the city to Bishkek and other parts of the north, making it quite easily accessible to visitors. On top of that, the recent improvements on the road that winds its way through the mountains from Osh to Bishkek has made Osh much easier to access by car. Visitors will enjoy visiting the expansive bazaar, checking out local sites like monuments and mosques, and no visit would be complete without a trip to the UNESCO-listed Sulayman Mountain, complete with its cavernous museum.