Sary-Tash

Sary-Tash is a village[1] and major crossroads in the Alay Valley of Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan. Its population was 1,427 in 2009.[2] Nearby towns and villages to the north include Ak-Bosogo (8 km or 5 mi) and Chagyr (14 km or 9 mi).

Sary-Tash Сарыташ
Sary Tash village with the Pamir mountains
Sary-Tash
Coordinates: 39°43′48″N 73°15′00″E
Country	Kyrgyzstan
Region	Osh Region
District	Alay District
Established	1950
Elevation	3,170 m (10,400 ft)
Population  (2009)
• Total	1,427
Time zone	UTC+6 (KGT)

Houses in Sary Tash

Although this remote village has only some shop-cafes, a petrol station and five guest houses (March 2016), it is an important road junction connecting China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Its name is derived from Turkic roots and means "yellow-stone".[3]

To the north, M41 goes over the Taldyk Pass to Gulcha and Osh in the Ferghana Valley. To the south, after leaving the Alay Valley the M41 rises to the 4280m Kyzylart Pass into Tajikistan as part of the Pamir Highway. 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the east on A371 is the Irkeshtam pass to Kashgar, Xinjiang province, China. To the west, the A372 leads down the Alay Valley. The pass at the west end (towards Dushanbe, Tajikistan) is a bilateral border crossing closed to foreigners.[4]