United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is against building of two fountains on the foothills of the Sulaiman Mountain in Osh city, beautiful city located in the Ferghana valley part of Kyrgyzstan. Neweurasia had already wrote a story about the sacred Sulaiman Mountain, and how it became Kyrgyzstan’s first site included to UNESCO’s Word Heritage List. UNESCO is against [ru] bulding of fountains as it considers they pose a threat to the condition of the sacred mountain.

Those, who have been to Osh city, have definitely seen the Tahti Sulaiman (The Solomon’s Throne), or as people call it Sulaiman Too (too [tɔ:] - mountain, kyrgyz), how it proudly stands in the middle of the city like a sentry guarding the city and its residents from outside evils. Maybe therefore people venerate the Sulaiman Mountain as a sacred place, and pay visits to it and pray there when they have health problems.

The Sulaiman Mountain is not that high, just 160 meters, but from the top it offers a great view on the city. Moreover, on the top, there is a small praying house of Zahiriddin Muhammad Bobur, a Central Asian conqueror, who established Mughal dynasty in India in 16th century. The praying house that today proudly stands on the top of the mountain is a reconstruction of original praying house remainings of which were destroyed during the early years of the Soviet ruling as a part of its anti-religious politics. Visitors can enter the praying house and recite verses of Koran with a mullah who sits there, and ask Allah to help in their problems. Non-Muslim visitors of the mountain, especially foreigners, are also welcomed to enter the praying house. Mullahs have interesting stories for them to tell, like the one which tells that the city of Oshkosh in Wisconsin was founded by people migrate from Osh, Kyrgyzstan, or and famous children’s clothes - the Oshkosh brand - was created by them.

In a press-conference given in September, the UNESCO Kyrgyzstan staff explained [ru] how bad the influence of new fountains can be to the present condition of the Sulaiman mountain.

The experience of building such objects shows that in the evenings they attract a huge number of people that may have a harmful impact on the state of the monument. UNESCO earlier made recommendations that the state should limit the number of pilgrims coming to the mountain.

UNESCO also thinks that new fountains may give a boost to new constructions new the mountain that will also have a bad influence on the mountain. Therefore, UNESCO in Kyrgyzstan warns Kyrgyz authorities that if construction of fountains will not be stopped the Sulaiman mountain can be excluded from the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

Online community of Kyrgzstan does not seem to be happy about the new fountains as well. Community of Diesel, famous online forum in .kg domain, has been discussing for a long time the Sulaiman Mountain being included to UNESCO World Heritage List. Leviathan, a forum member, wrote [ru] a laconic but very meaningful message that shows his attitude to new fountains in Osh.

and they will defile it there as well.

Leviathan obviously hints to a new fountain in Bishkek that daily gathers great number of people, who are, to tell the truth, do not often care about the cleanness of not only fountain, but the square where it is located.

Photos of construction of new fountains on the foothills of the Sulaiman Mountain.