Pamir-Alay

The Pamir-Alay is a mountain system in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, encompassing four main mountain ranges extending west from the Tian Shan Mountains, and located north of the main range of Pamir. They are variously considered part of the Tian Shan,^[1] of the Pamir,^[2] or a separate mountain system.^[3] The term "Pamiro-Alay" is also used to refer to the mountain region encompassing the Pamir, the Pamir-Alay proper (then referred to as "Gissaro-Alay") and the Tajik Depression.^[4][5]

Pamir-Alay
Помиру-Олой (Tajik) Помир-Алай (Shughni) Pomir-Oloy (Uzbek) Памир-Алай (Kyrgyz) Памиро-Алай (Russian)
View of the Zarafshan Range near the Anzob Pass
Highest point
Peak	Pik Skalisty
Elevation	5,621 m (18,442 ft)
Coordinates	39°30′N 71°0′E
Dimensions
Length	900 km (560 mi) E/W
Width	150 km (93 mi) N/S
Geography
Location in Tajikistan
Country	Tajikistan
Parent range	Pamir Mountains

The Pamir-Alay stretches between the valleys of the rivers Syr Darya (Fergana Valley) to its north and Vakhsh to its south.^[2] Its highest summit is Pik Skalisty (Russian: пик Скалистый, "rocky peak"), 5621 m, in the Turkestan Range.^[6] The Pamir-Alay is about 900 km long in west–east direction, and up to 150 km wide in the Western part.^[5]

Main subranges

The Pamir-Alay is subdivided into the following mountain ranges:^[1]

• Turkestan Range (5,621 m)
• Alay Range (5,544 m)
• Zarafshan Range (5,489 m), including Fann Mountains
• Gissar Range (4,643 m), including Köýtendag Range