Osh

City and capital of Osh duban (oblast), southwestern Kyrgyzstan, at the eastern end of the Fergana Valley, 50 km/31 mi southeast of Andijon in Uzbekistan; population (1995) 250,000. Osh is Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city, and yet has a very high Uzbek population. It has the largest textile complex in Central Asia, as well as cotton, wool, and silk mills, and stands at an important highway junction; the Pamir Highway runs from here to Tajikistan. Coal, zinc, and lead are mined nearby.

Osh is one of the most ancient towns of Central Asia, dating from around the 5th century BC. It was long a crossroads and market centre on the Silk Route. It was sacked by the Mongols in the 13th century.