Pamir Highway 2572082 170139516 2007-11-08T18:13:05Z Vmenkov 268974 [[Image:Pamir Highway Route.jpg|thumb|300px|The Pamir Highway travels through the Central Asian nations of [[Afghanistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], and [[Kyrgyzstan]].]] The '''Pamir Highway''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: "Pamirsky Trakt", Памирский тракт) is a road traversing the [[Pamir Mountains]] in [[Central Asia]]. Sources disagree on the termini of the highway, with [[Mazari Sharif]], [[Afghanistan]]; [[Dushanbe]], [[Tajikistan]]; and [[Khorog]], Tajikistan all being offered as the beginning of the highway; however all sources agree that the Pamir Highway ends in [[Osh]], [[Kyrgyzstan]]. The Pamir Highway is designated as route M-41 over much of its length in Tajikistan, and is known as the second-highest [[altitude]] international highway in the world (4,655 m). It has been given the [[European route]] number [[European route E008|E 008]] between Dushanbe and Murgab, but not between Murgab and Osh, because of the unreliability of the highest part. Tajikistan etc have got E-roads (around 2001) since they have become members of the [[UNECE]]. Despite being called a [[highway]], the road is only sparsely maintained, sometimes paved but often a [[dirt road]], and heavily damaged in places by [[erosion]], [[earthquake]]s, [[landslide]]s, and [[avalanche]]s. However, it is the only continuous route through the difficult terrain, serving as the main supply route to Tajikistan's [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region]]. The route of the Pamir Highway has been in use for millennia, as there are a limited number of viable routes through the high Pamir Mountains; the road formed one link of the ancient [[Silk Road]] trade route. The quality requirements for an E-road is among others, paved, at least 8 m wide, at most 8 % grade, but they do not seem so stringent. The road begins just east of Mazari Sharif in northern Afghanistan, passing northward into [[Uzbekistan]] before turning east and crossing another border into Tajikistan. It then follows a general eastward route through Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, to [[Khorog]], crossing the [[Kafirnigan]], [[Vakhsh River|Vakhsh]], and [[Bartang]] Rivers. From there it continues east for a distance of 311 kilometers (193 miles) to [[Murghab, Tajikistan|Murghab]], there crossing the [[Murghab River (Tajikistan)|Murghab River]] before turning northward. The Pamir Highway passes through the [[altitude]] 4,655 meter (15,270 ft) [[Ak-Baital]] [[mountain pass|pass]] and past lake [[Kara-Kul]] before crossing into Kyrgyzstan and on to Osh. The Murghab-Osh leg is 417 kilometers (259 miles) in length. The stretch of road between Khorog and Osh attracts some small amount of [[tourism]] due to its rugged, unspoilt natural beauty and sparse but friendly native population. ==External links== *[http://www.traveltajikistan.com/roadrail/intercity.html#road_map Road map of Tajikistan] ==References== *[http://www.greatgametravel.co.uk/pdf/pamir-jeep.pdf "Pamir Jeep Tour: Pamir Highway, Khorog to Osh"]. The Great Game Travel Company. Retrieved August 29, 2005. *[http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Tajikistan/Things_To_Do-Tajikistan-BR-1.html "Tajikistan: Things To Do"]. VirtualTourist.com. Retrieved August 29, 2005. *[http://www.pamirs.org/what-to-see/routes/murgab/i_khorog.htm "Pamirs - The Roof of the World"]. pamirs.org. Retrieved August 29, 2005. *[http://www.traveltajikistan.com/roadrail/intercity.html "Travel Tajikstan - Getting Around by Road"]. traveltajikistan.com. Retrieved August 29, 2005. [[Category:Transport in Tajikistan]] [[Category:Transport in Kyrgyzstan]] [[Category:Transport in Afghanistan]] [[Category:Transport in Uzbekistan]] {{Kyrgyzstan-geo-stub}} {{Tajikistan-geo-stub}} [[de:Pamir Highway]] [[it:Autostrada del Pamir]] [[ru:Памирский тракт]]