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Aravan
Араван | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 40°30′54″N 72°29′57″E / 40.51500°N 72.49917°E | |
Country | Kyrgyzstan |
Region | Osh Region |
District | Aravan District |
Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 32,917 |
Time zone | UTC+6 |
Area code | 3231 |
Aravan is a large village in the Fergana Valley, in Aravan District of Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia about 25 km west of Osh, on the river Aravansay. It is the administrative seat of Aravan District.[2] Its population was 32,917 in 2021, of which 21,818 in Yusupov rural community and 11,099 in Allya Anarov rural community.[1]
Located on the Silk Road. Nearby are the Celestial Horses of Aravan, carved on a cliff face perhaps in the 1st century BC. They are thought to represent the 'blood-sweating horses' sought by the Chinese of the Han dynasty. The petroglyphs have an important role in regional folklore and have become a pilgrimage site for Muslims in the Fergana Valley. There is a Sufi shrine. The Chil-Ustun cave system is 4 km away in the hills above the river Aravansay. There is a similar cave system 20 km away. Neither is easily accessible.