When Askar Akayev, the Kyrgyz president from 1990 to 2005, ordered the construction of grand buildings, local communities were often forced to contribute whether they wanted to or not.
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Kyrgyzstan sometimes bears a resemblance to the Bernese Oberland.
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Industrial facilities contrast starkly with the natural beauty of the Fergana Valley.
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A "metal policeman" in Osh helps encourage car drivers to slow down.
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People in Kyrgyzstan bury their dead in traditional Islamic cemeteries. During Soviet times this was only possible when the authorities turned a blind eye.
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Bishkek is surrounded by 4,000-metre high mountains.
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A poster of Akayev proclaiming the "foundation" of Kyrgyzstan 2,200 years ago.
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A heating pipeline transports hot air to the city of Fergana.
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The new road built by Iranian contractors between Osh and Jalal Abad in Kyrgyzstan. The road circles a strip of Uzbeki territory, effectively doubling the time needed to travel between the two cities.
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