The Sulamain-Too is a 1110 m high mountain around which the city of Osh extends. It has several thousand year old places of worship of various faiths from pre-Islamic and Islamic times. The Sulamain-Too is still an important pilgrimage destination today. Numerous cave paintings have been found in caves and on rock faces.
Holy Mount Sulamain-Too: Facts
| Official title: | Holy Mount Sulamain-Too |
| Cultural monument: | Rock massif in the city of Osh on the edge of the Central Asian Fergana Valley with a large number of pre-Islamic and Islamic places of worship (17 of which are part of the world heritage) from different epochs; religious veneration of the five, up to 1,100 m high peaks (“Throne of Solomon”, up to the 16th century, “Bara Kutsch”, Beautiful Mountain) for more than 1,500 years; Place of pilgrimage for the healing of sterility and diseases as well as place of prayer; Caves with approx. 100 prehistoric rock engravings of geometric shapes, symbols, lines, also depictions of animals (eg ibex, horses, birds) and the sun, probably from the Bronze Age; two restored mosques, probably from the 16th and 18th centuries; at the foot of the mountain of legend after the grave of Solomon, venerated as a Muslim prophet (Islamic “Suleiman”) |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | Kyrgyzstan |
| Location: | Osh, southwest Kyrgyzstan |
| Appointment: | 2009 |
| Meaning: | Unique testimony to a religiously lived mountain landscape in Central Asia; outstanding example of over a thousand year old places of worship of different cultures; A living example of a spiritually inspired worship of nature to this day |
Holy Mountain on the Silk Road
According to youremailverifier, the city of Osh is located in the south of Kyrgyzstan near the Uzbek border at the end of the Fergana Valley. It is dominated by Sulamain-Too, a 200 meter high mountain with five peaks. It once served thousands and thousands of travelers as a signpost on the Silk Road, because important trade routes crossed in Osh. And even today, the mountain attracts travelers. It is primarily Islamic pilgrims to whom the Sulamain-Too is sacred, and in more than one way. On the one hand, the biblical King Solomon, who is considered a prophet in Islam, is said to be buried there. On the other hand, there are places of worship from several pre-Islamic and Islamic faiths on and on the mountain: from rock paintings from the Bronze Age to places that are venerated to two restored mosques from the 16th century.
Solomon, king of Judah, Israel and Jerusalem (965–926 BC), is a prophet to the Muslims. Allegedly, the founding of the city of Osh goes back to him. According to legend, Solomon plowed oxen there and spoke the word chosh at the foot of Sulamain-Too(“enough”). He is also said to be buried on the mountain that bears his name today: Sulamain-Too translates as nothing else than “Throne of Solomon”. However, the mountain was only given this name in the 16th century – previously it was known simply as Bara Kutsch (“beautiful mountain”). But there are other legends about the origin of the city of Osh: Sometimes it is said to be “as old as Rome”, sometimes it was founded by Alexander the Great (356–323 BC). However, the earliest written mention is only found in Arabic documents from the 9th century AD. In the years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the old trade routes have also been revived, and so Osh is again an important center today, especially since the border crossing to China was opened near Irkeshtam in 2002.
There are a number of ritual sites on the five peaks and numerous slopes of the mountain. 17 of them are still venerated today. The places of worship, which promise a cure for infertility, migraines and back pain and are supposed to bring a long life, are connected by a network of footpaths – sacred paths. Special powers are also ascribed to the tomb of Solomon itself: women who crawl through an opening in the sacred rock are said to give birth to healthy children. Perhaps this myth goes back to the shape of the mountain: The Sulamain-Too is reminiscent of a lying pregnant woman. Above all on the eastern slope of the mountain there are numerous caves and rock walls with over 100 rock carvings. They probably come from the Middle Bronze Age and represent people, animals, dragons, the sun, the moon and geometric shapes. Archaeological excavations are still carried out there today. What is brought to light can be viewed on site in a branch of the City Museum for History and Culture. It was built into the western summit of the mountain and houses over 400 exhibits.
One of the most famous places of worship is the so-called House of Babur, a small mosque on a large, smooth rock near the eastern summit. Babur (1483–1530) was a petty prince and a descendant of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (1336–1405). He was born near Osh, but later left for India. He conquered Delhi and Agra and founded the Mughal dynasty there, which ruled until 1857. But before he embarked on this crucial journey, he allegedly sat for a long time on the rock at Sulamain-Too and came to the decision that he had to leave the limits of the Fergana Basin behind in order to realize his ambitious plans and dreams. Before that he built the small Tacht-i-Sulamain mosque on the Sulamain-Too around 1500. For three and a half centuries it was a popular destination for Islamic pilgrims, until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1853. Although the mosque was reconstructed, it was devastated again by an explosion in the 1960s. Allegedly the Soviet secret service KGB was behind this explosion, because the communist government was a thorn in the side of the Muslim pilgrims. After Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991, the one-room dome was rebuilt and can now again fulfill its role as a pilgrimage destination. Those who do not want to undertake the 30-minute ascent can also get to the popular excursion destination via an asphalt road. As in the times of Solomon, from there you have a wonderful view over the wonderful Fergana Basin. Allegedly the Soviet secret service KGB was behind this explosion, because the communist government was a thorn in the side of the Muslim pilgrims. After Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991, the one-room dome was rebuilt and can now again fulfill its role as a pilgrimage destination. Those who do not want to undertake the 30-minute ascent can also get to the popular excursion destination via an asphalt road. As in the times of Solomon, from there you have a wonderful view over the wonderful Fergana Basin. Allegedly the Soviet secret service KGB was behind this explosion, because the communist government was a thorn in the side of the Muslim pilgrims. After Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991, the one-room dome was rebuilt and can now once again fulfill its role as a pilgrimage destination. Those who do not want to undertake the 30-minute ascent can also get to the popular excursion destination via an asphalt road. As in the times of Solomon, from there you have a wonderful view over the wonderful Fergana Basin. Those who do not want to undertake the 30-minute ascent can also get to the popular excursion destination via an asphalt road. As in the times of Solomon, from there you have a wonderful view over the wonderful Fergana Basin. Those who do not want to undertake the 30-minute ascent can also get to the popular excursion destination via an asphalt road. As in the times of Solomon, from there you have a wonderful view over the wonderful Fergana Basin.