Suleiman-Too
| Suleiman-Too | ||
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 The Suleiman-Too seen from Osh |
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| height | 1110 m | |
| location | Kyrgyzstan | |
| Coordinates | 40 ° 31 '46 " N , 72 ° 47' 0" E | |
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| particularities | first Kyrgyz world cultural heritage | |
 The Suleiman-Too with the building of the historical museum |
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The Suleiman-Too , also spelled Sulaimain-Too , Sulayman-Too , Tacht-i-Sulaiman or Taht-I-Suleiman (Throne of Solomon ) is a 1110 meter high mountain in Kyrgyzstan , around which the old trading city of Osh extends. The Kyrgyz people consider it a holy mountain . In June 2009 it was declared the first Kyrgyz World Heritage Site by UNESCO . The system of cult sites on Suleiman-Too, which has grown over several millennia, is regarded as the best preserved in all of Central Asia according to UNESCO.
The Suleiman-Too dominates the Fergana Valley from afar and was a signpost for the travelers who came to Osh on the former Silk Roads . In some caves and on rock faces on the mountain, especially on the eastern slope, over 100 petroglyphs (rock carvings) with depictions of people, animals, dragons, sun and moon as well as geometric shapes that date from the time of the first settlement in the Middle Bronze Age were found. Archaeological excavations are still taking place on the mountain.
On its three to five peaks, depending on how you look at it, and on the slopes around it, there are a total of 17 old cult sites. Some of the places of worship are still in use today by the population. The sites are linked by a traditional system of footpaths. The visit is intended, among other things, to help against infertility, headaches and back pain and to lend a long life.
In worshiping the mountain, Islamic and pre-Islamic beliefs are mixed. The Suleiman-Too is still considered by many Kyrgyz as a model of the world in which the elements of the world order can be found. One of the most famous places of worship is the so-called "House of Babur", a large, smooth rock near the summit. Babur , the descendant of Timur and founder of the Indian Mughal dynasty , was born in nearby Andijon in what is now the Uzbek part of the Ferghana Valley and set out from there to conquer India. He is said to have had a hut on Suleiman Mountain and sat for a long time on the rock and considered his fate before he came to the conclusion that the Ferghana Valley was too narrow for his ambitions and dreams.
But also for Muslim pilgrims from all over Central Asia the mountain - which was called Bara-Kuch , "Beautiful Mountain" until the 16th century - was and is sacred, because Solomon , known to Christians as King of Israel from the Bible, is considered a prophet in the Koran and is said to have been buried at the foot of the mountain. Since then, the mountain has been called the throne of Solomon, and funerals are still held on the mountain today. In the 16./17. or 17./18. In the 19th century, two mosques were built, which have largely been preserved or restored. One of them, the one-room Tacht-i-Sulejman Mosque, was built on one of the peaks. In the course of time it was mixed up with the legend of Babur and is therefore also called the House of Babur. The mausoleum of Asaf-ibn-Burchija is located on the southeast slope.
The Suleiman Mountain, up to which an asphalt road leads today, is also an excursion destination. In a cave in the mountain, a museum was built at the end of the 20th century using modern means (concrete), in which, among other things, objects from the early days of the Settlement on the mountain can be seen.
Web links
Heritage: Sacred Mount Suleiman-Too (2003) | Silk Roads: The Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Road Network (2014)
Natural Heritage: Western Tian Shan Mountains (2016)