This mountain has many caves, which were used for prayer and shamanist rituals many years ago. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a sacred mountain. There is a fairly large museum built into one of the natural caves, which was actually used as a restaurant during Soviet times. At the mountain's summit, there is a 16th-century mosque called the House of Babur. Unfortunately, the building was destroyed twice due to an earthquake and Soviet anti-religion campaigns. The modern building was reconstructed in 1989.
We visited a local family in Osh that specializes in pottery. They use a beautiful red clay that comes from a nearby town. Their pottery studio was also made of all-natural materials. There was no flooring put in, just the existing dirt ground. The main frame was made of wood and the roof was packed with lots of straw.
