Tajikistan’s Tourist Attractions

The Fann Mountains (the Fanns) are an incredibly beautiful corner abounding in alpine lakes and snow-capped peaks, situated at the junction of two major mountain ranges in the Pamir-Alai system in Tajikistan - the Hissar and Zeravshan Ranges, not far from the world-famous ancient city of Samarkand. This is a truly unique highland region known from the past as Kuhistan (which translates from Farsi as ‘the country of mountains’).

Picturesque gorges and passes, rapid rivers, ancient glaciers and splendid emerald green and turquoise lakes, juniper forests and pointed summits, stably warm weather and good accessibility - all this makes the region highly attractive for mountaineers, trekkers and fans of outdoor activities, including their extreme versions.

The Alay Valley (Alai Valley) called by locals simply ‘Alay’ (‘Alai’) is one of the most picturesque parts of the Pamir-Alai, a tectonic depression between the Alay and Trans Alay Ranges situated in the south of Kyrgyzstan at elevations between 2,240 m and 3,536 m. The valley stretches 150 km west to east, with a width between 8 km and 25 km, and runs across most of southern Osh Province. The Alay Range is lower than the Trans Alay Range. It features a number of rich summer pastures (jayloo) hidden in its gorges, while the Trans Alay Range is characterised by very high, inaccessible, everwhite summits, which are massive and light at the same time, seeming rather to try to reach the sun and the sky than to press upon the earth.

The famous Pamir Highway is an asphalt road running at high altitudes for 700 km to link Dushanbe with Khorog (Tajikistan) and Osh (Kyrgyzstan). The Pamir Highway also known officially as route M41 (M41 Road, M41 highway) largely follows the Tajik border with Afghanistan and China. This mountain road ranks as one of the world’s highest international asphalt roads. The highway is hugely important as part of the regional infrastructure, as this is the only artery linking the remote areas of the Pamir Mountainswith the rest of the world.

The greatest, mysterious, lost in the wilds of Asia - the mountains of the Pamir have always stirred minds. Sharp peaks seemed unattainable, deep rocky gorges - impregnable, winding roads heading to the clouds - unreliable. 

The Pamir Mountains divide Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. And everywhere they appear to travelers different, but exciting.