evidence: The Pamir Mountains are a unique region with its own culture and historical evolution. The cultural extent of the Pamirs is not limited only to the Gorno-Badakhshan province of Tajikistan, but also stretches out to minor parts of Afghanistan and China, covering altogether the historic region of Badakhshan. The oldest known records of the Badakhshan region go back thousands of years. In antiquity, the region functioned as an important trading center: transport routes of the silk road passed through the Pamirs and lapis lazuli was exported already more than 5000 years ago. Through the years, Badakhshan has been controlled by many different emperors, kings and nobles (‘mirs’ in islamic tradition). [...] Reaching the remote Pamir Mountains is no easy task. Only two decent entry roads connect the outside world to the Pamirs: one coming from Dushanbe and one from Osh in Kyrgyzstan. Other ways out from the Pamirs are highly impassable because they lead through the extremely high and rugged terrain that characterizes the rest of the border area. To China and Afghanistan, there are only a few very rough roads that are very difficult to pass. When landing in Dushanbe, be prepared for a drive by car of more than 500 km that will take at least 16 hours over bad roads to get to the Pamirs.