The Sulayman Mountain, also known as Sulaiman-Too in Kyrgyz (written in the Roman alphabet as "Sulaiman-Too," meaning "Sulayman Rock"), is the sole World Heritage Site entirely within Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the city of Osh and was once an important place for people to visit before the time of Islam.

History

Some researchers and historians believe this mountain is the ancient landmark known as the "Stone Tower," which Claudius Ptolemy described in his book called Geography. The Stone Tower was located at the midpoint of the ancient Silk Road, the overland trade route used by caravans traveling between Europe and Asia.

Sulayman Shrine

Sulayman (Solomon) is a prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, and a mountain is believed to contain a shrine that marks his resting place. According to a legend, women who climb to the shrine and crawl through an opening on the holy rock may have healthy children. Many trees and bushes on the mountain have small pieces of cloth tied to them. These pieces of cloth are called "prayer flags."

Area protection

According to UNESCO, the mountain is "the best example of a sacred mountain in Central Asia, worshipped for many centuries." The site remains a place where local Muslims visit. Stairs lead to the highest peak, where a small mosque stands. This mosque was first built by Babur in 1510 and was rebuilt in the late 1900s.

The rock also includes the Sulayman National Historical and Archaeological Museum Complex, created during the Soviet era. This museum displays items found in the area and shows its history. The bottom part of the mountain has a cemetery surrounding it.

Gallery

• View of the mountain from the city of Osh
• View of the five peaks from Alishir Navoi Street
• Rock formations on one of the mountain’s summits
• Detail of sedimentary rock strata (horizontal layers)
• The Sulaiman-Too Mosque, Osh, Kyrgyzstan
• Cemetery on lower slopes with Sulayman-Too Mosque in the background
• View of Osh seen downhill across cemetery and mosque
• Mosque, viewed from above
• Panorama of Osh (mosque in foreground) viewed from a track leading to a mountain cave
• Panorama of Osh showing high, snow-covered peaks of the Alay Range to the south of the city
• Detail of one of the mountain’s caves
• Few trees on dry, upper slopes
• Decorative gateway to a staircase leading to a museum area
• Sulayman-Too Archaeological Museum on one of the peaks
• Entrance to the Archaeological Museum
• Exterior of the House of Babur
• Interior of the House of Babur
• Detail of the dome inside the House of Babur
• Café at the base (viewing platform and House of Babur visible in the background)
• Mausoleum of Asif ibn Barkhiya
• The Gates of Fire (commemorating a Zoroastrian fire temple on the mountain)
• Kyrgyz women resting during a visit to a sacred mountain