On the Silk Route

In the capital, Bishkek, a statue of Manas, the nation’s legendary hero celebrated in an epic of the same name.

A street in Bishkek.

State Historical Museum in Bishkek.

Bishkek is a lovely city with a lot of greenery.

Selling "non", the local bread, in Osh's fabled market.

On the road from Bishkek to Osh.

Outside a tunnel in a mountain pass on the route to Osh.

A roadside fruit vendor on the route to Osh.

Autumn colours on the stunningly beautiful route to Osh.

On the "roof of the world". Kyrgyz Republic is home to some majestic mountain ranges—Alay, Tien Shan and the Pamirs.

On the Pamirs. Roads wrap around the mountains like a giant black serpent.

The road from Bishkek to Osh. It passes through the Tien Shan range.

Osh town, with a newly built mosque in the foreground.

The dargah of the legendary conqueror Babur atop the Sulayman hill in Osh.

The Indian delegation crossing over from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyz territory, at Korday.

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Almost 80 per cent of Kyrgyz Republic is mountainous but the hills are interspersed with expansive pastures and lush valleys.