Alay Valley

The Alay Valley is a broad, dry valley running east to west across most of the southern Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. It stretches about 174 kilometers, ranging from 3 to 40 kilometers wide, bounded on the north by the Alay Mountains descending toward the Ferghana Valley and on the south by the Trans-Alay Range, which includes Lenin Peak at 7,134 meters. Two rivers named Kyzyl-Suu drain the valley, one flowing east toward Kashgar and the other flowing west before becoming the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan, and elevations within the valley range from about 2,440 to 3,536 meters. Around 17,000 people, mostly ethnic Kyrgyz, live in the valley, which is also recognized as an Important Bird Area for its diverse bird life.