Pamir Highway

Demetrius Spaneas, Pamiri (Tajik) Ney Flute The M41, known informally and more commonly as the Pamir Highway (Russian: "Pamirsky Trakt", Памирский тракт) is a road traversing the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. It is the only continuous route through the difficult terrain of the mountains and serves as the main supply route to Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The route has been in use for millennia, as there are a limited number of viable routes through the high Pamir Mountains. The road formed one link of the ancient Silk Road trade route. The Pamir Highway is designated as route M-41 over much of its length in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and is known as the second-highest altitude international highway in the world (4,655 m). These were photos that I took during the summer of 2010 during a cultural diplomacy project (working with the US Embassy Cultural Affairs Office) along the Tajik-Afghan boarder. I am playing an improvisation a Pamiri (Tajik) ney flute which I purchased in the town of Khorog, Tajikistan.