Artisans Quarter

Artisans Quarter is one of the favorite urban subjects of Osh painters. After Suleiman Mountain, it is the most recognizable location portrayed by local landscape artists. In ancient times, because of the abundance of mosques and madrasahs, this part of Osh was sometimes called the “quarter of sheikhs.”

Once called Alabaster Street because of the limestone and alabaster that were mined nearby, this historical thoroughfare was renamed in 2009 in honour of Osh artisans. In 2011, the Osh City Hall received an official confirmation of the inclusion of the area around Suleiman Mountain as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As part of future regeneration initiatives, workshops will open in each of the houses along the street, and will begin to revive the lost crafts for which Osh was once renowned.

Along the street, the Zhupas-Aryk canal flows out of the Ak-Buura River, as it has for hundreds of years. During the construction of the central square in the 1960s and 1970s, Zhupas-Aryk was cemented and hidden underground. These days, it quietly appears aboveground in different places throughout the city. On it, as in the old days, water-lifting wheels called “chigiri” are installed to water household plots inside residential courtyards. Along the canal you can see fortified banks, constructed in the Middle Ages.

Here, houses constructed in the style typical of the Fergana Valley in the early 20^th century, have been preserved to this day. Narrow streets with hidden passageways and dead ends create the feeling of a mysterious and ancient city, frozen in time.

In the courtyards of this quarter, grapes always grow in thick canopies, creating curtains of shade on hot summer days. Household gardens invariably include groves of figs and persimmons, whose bright fruits are not harvested until the first snows. Huge, fragrant dark purple raykhon (basil) bushes sprawl all over the courtyards. Knock on the gate, exchange a traditional greeting, and immerse yourself in the unique comfort of the old quarters of Osh.