Gate of Fire at Suleiman Mountain

Ancient Osh with its majestic Suleiman Mountain has a magic power, attracting adherents of various religions and beliefs, serving as a place of pilgrimage for dervishes and wandering believers of many faiths.

The first written mention of Suleiman Mountain dates back to the 10^th century, when the Arab geographer al-Istahri mentioned it in his work “Kitab Masalik al-Mamalik.” The Kufi inscription bearing the name of the Samanid ruler of Fergana, Nasr ibn Ahmad (940-941), discovered during excavations on the mountain, dates to the same period. The height of the practice of Zoroastrianism in Osh is connected with Samanids.

Until the 10^th century, Zoroastrianism was one of the major religions of the peoples inhabiting Central Asia, most vividly manifested in its archaic forms, Mazdaism and Mitraism. Numerous rock paintings (petroglyphs) on Suleiman Mountain testify to this.

Fire-worshippers, as the followers of Zoroastrianism were called, considered Suleiman Mountain their shrine, setting up their temples at its foot, worshipping the elements of fire and water. Chinese traveler Zhang Qiang left records in the 2^nd century B.C. about fire-worshippers’ temples near the Suleiman Mountain in his travel notes. Modern-day archaeologists have found many different temple implements during excavations, confirming the numerous historical records.

There is even a belief that Zoroastrianism’s founder Zarathustra, the creator of the sacred Avesta texts, lived and worked for some time in a cave on Suleiman Mountain.

In the days of Zoroastrianism, the city of Osh had three main entrances: Darvaza Kukh (“gate of the mountains”), Darvaza Ab (“gate of the water”), and Darvaza Mugkede (“gate of the temple of fire”), which demonstrates the high status of Zoroastrian believers in ancient Osh.

In 2000, during the city’s 3000^th anniversary celebrations, a symbolic fire gate was installed at the southwestern foot of Suleiman Mountain to commemorate Osh’s Zoroastrian heritage. From this gate leads a path up the mountain, a climb to the top of which has been a sacred rite throughout history.