Every Sunday morning a tumultuous exchange of sheep, horses and cows takes place on the outskirts of the legendary city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. The art of bargaining is everywhere and negotiations end face to face with rough handshakes. Dust, sun, smell, noise and excitement also play a part in this rite. More than an economic activity, this buying and selling is a legacy in this part of the world where the calid Fergana valley begins.
Now divided, this watery and fertile basin became one of the earliest known homes of non-nomadic Neolithic peoples, as opposed to their neighbors in the high mountains of Tian Shan, Alay and the Pamir range, who moved their yurts and families up and down each year in search of good pastures to feed their livestock almost to the present day. Such domestic economy, plus its optimal location on the map, made Osh a prominent bazaar of the Central Asian region and a must stop on the Silk Road between Europe and China, before the paving of the ocean routes. Numerous visitors forged the spirit of Osh; less welcoming guests, such as Genghis Khan and earthquakes, forced the rebuilding of its houses, mosques and markets. Afterwards, Kokand and the Russian empire coveted and controlled this strategic place. Before the birth of today's Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the Soviet era brought a new industrial landscape with a growing population from rural and remote lands.
A multi-ethnic population that is now observed, a population consisting of Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Uyghurs, Turks, Tajiks, Russians, Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Dungans and Koreans. Diversity is at the heart of the city. Despite some street riots between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks a decade ago and some recurring political tensions over control of the region's water, these peoples have proven to understand each other, cooperate and live together in peace. That diversity that has lived in Osh for millennia, that diversity so visible and present every Sunday morning.