Hindu Kush

The Hindu Kush rises above the Kokcha valley in Badakhshan, its steep mountains enclosing some of the world's most famous lapis lazuli deposits. At Sar-e Sang, blue stone has been extracted since antiquity and carried out through difficult mountain routes. The Kokcha flows north towards the Oxus, passing the basin of Fayzabad, where roads from the mountains meet those leading west and north. High ridges and deep valleys give the region its rugged character.