Osh, the old city in southern Kyrgyzstan, has marked its 3,026th birthday, another milestone for a settlement that has stood at the foot of Sulaiman-Too for well over three thousand years. Residents gathered for the anniversary celebrations, which the city traditionally stages with concerts and public ceremonies around the sacred mountain. The occasion carries real weight locally, since Osh is widely counted among the longest continuously inhabited places in Central Asia. Its position on old Silk Road routes brought centuries of trade and cultural exchange, and that history is a point of pride across the region. City officials used the anniversary to promote Osh as a historic centre and a destination for visitors. Sulaiman-Too, the rocky hill that watches over the city, was placed on the UNESCO list in 2009 and anchors most anniversary events. For the people who live there, the date is less about numbers and more about the endurance of everyday life in one of Asia's oldest towns.