Tian Shan

The Alay mountains form a high barrier along the southern side of the Fergana Valley. Their northern slopes descend toward the cultivated lowlands, while the broad Alay Valley lies beyond the ridge to the south. Snow and mountain streams feed valleys leading down toward Fergana, and passes provide difficult crossings into the higher country. The range forms part of the great mountain system between the Tian Shan and the Pamirs.