 The road to Langar in the Wakhan Valley of Tajikistan |
 Langar, the first town in the Wakhan Valley of Tajikistan |
 At Langar, the Pamir River meets the Wakhan River to form the Panj River |
 The Wakhan Valley is shared by Tajikistan and Afghanistan |
 Jama'at Khana, Langar's traditional Pamiri "congregational place" |
 And of course, the driver tries to zip right past the highlight of the village |
 The Jama'at Khana is preserved as Langar's museum |
 The highly decorated exterior of Langar's Pamiri prayer house |
 Figure of a ram on the Pamiri prayer house in Langar |
 The majority of Pamiris are Ismaili muslim, followers of the Aga Khan |
 Entrance to Langar's congregational hall |
 A map of the village of Langar in the Jama'at Khana |
 The first room of the Jama'at Khana of Langar with a fine carpet on the wall and an interesting collection on the table |
 Arabic Inscription with the cry "Oh Ali" repeated 4 times |
 Jama'at Khana is a Muslim place of worship that has not been formally sanctified as a mosque |
 The Ismailis have a much looser interpretation on the representation of living things than other sects |
 The main room of the Jama'at Khana, traditional Pamiri architecture filled with symbolism |
 The five pillars members of Ali's family, Mohamed, his son-in-law Ali, Mohamed's daughter Fatima, and sons Hussein and Hassan |
 The traditional Pamiri house "elements of ancient Aryan philosophy - including Zoroastrianism" |
 The Hassan and Hussein pillars with an ornate clock |
 Arabic inscription in the Jama'at Khana of Langar |
 Another traditional feature of the room is the intricate skylight with 4 levels four Zoroastrian elements earth, water, air fire |
 Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed, the key figure in the schism between Sunni and Shiite |
 Plaster of a ram with the sun rising over the mountains with a field of crops |
 Across from the Langar Museum, the entrance to the mausoleum of Shoh Kambari Oftab, a Pamiri shrine-garden |
 Skull and impressive horns of a Pamir Ibex |
 Shoh Kambari Oftab is the man credited with bring Ismailiism to Langar |
 A pile of horns from Pamir Ibex and Marco Polo sheep |
 Shoh Kambari Oftab Mazar, Langar - Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 Skulls of Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii) |
 I wonder how plentiful wildlife is these days in the Wakhan Valley |
 Large trees shade the shrine-garden of Shoh Kambari Oftab mausoleum |
 Shoh Kambari Oftab mausoleum Shrine-Garden, Langar |
 Persian inscription at the Mausoleum of Shoh Kambari Oftab, Langar |
 Oven at the shrine-garden, Langar |
 The guide to the shrine-garden of Langar |
 Tajikistan license plate |
 Megafon Tajikistan |
 Mountains rising above the treetops of beautiful Langar |
 Daisies with the mountains of the Wakhan Valley |
 Looking across the fields of Langar across to the Afghan side of the Wakhan Valley |
 Waken Valley at Langar |
 I certainly wasn't expecting to see a red-headed boy here in Langar |
 The three main races of Eurasian man all meet here in this small region of Central Asia |
 Langar woman in a field of grain, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 This is in front of the small guesthouse where I'll be spending the night |
 Pastoral scene in the peaceful Wakhan Valley |
 Agricultural fields of Langar in the Wakhan Valley with the mountains of Afghanistan across the Panj River |
 Early autumn in the Wakhan Valley, Langar |
 Harvest time in the Wakhan Valley, Langar, Tajikistan |
 Harvest time in the Wakhan Valley, Langar, Tajikistan |
 Afternoon in the Wakhan Valley, Langar |
 Langar, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 Langar, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 Three young boys, Langar, Wakhan Valley |
 Three young boys, Langar, Wakhan Valley |
 Langar - Waken Valley, Tajikistan |
 Boys in Langar, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 What a smile! Wakhan boy |
 I didn't have time to do the hike to see the ancient petroglyphs |
 "General Store" in the "Downtown" Langar, an old Soviet bus |
 KAVZ-685 Bus, Made in the USSR, 1984 |
 Live Music at the "General Store" bus in "Downtown" Langar |
 The mountains rising high above Langar |
 A sharp peak framed with trees, Wakhan Valley |
 The old bus as a makeshift bar with a local Tajik beer |
 What's nightlife in the former USSR without Vodka |
 Late afternoon light on the mountains surrounding the Wakhan Valley |
 Last light of a long day traveling from Murghab high in the Pamirs here to Langar in the Wakhan Valley |
 Last light of a long day traveling from Murghab high in the Pamirs here to Langar in the Wakhan Valley |
 Four men pushing an old Russian 4x4 across the Main Square of Langar |
 Steven making friends with some locals post-Vodka |
 Dinner at the guesthouse in Langar, simple but filling |
 Carpets everywhere, our guesthouse in Langar |
 Good Morning, Steven! |
 Morning light on the mountains of Afghanistan |
 The neighbor's house, Langar |
 Morning sun and shadows across the Wakhan Valley, Afghanistan |
 Russian graffiti on rocks with the year 1938 |
 Wakhan Valley and the mountains of Afghanistan |
 Wakhan Valley and the mountains of Afghanistan |
 The breakfast table, Langar |
 Carpets, not just for the floor |
 The guesthouse in Langar |
 Front yard of the guesthouse, Langar |
 There was another group of travelers staying at the same guesthouse |
 They seemed happy with their driver from Pamir Guides |
 The harvest tied in neat bundles |
 The road through the fields at Langar |
 An old man walks with a young girl in early in the morning |
 Old man and young girl, Langar |
 Up there somewhere are the petroglyphs of Langar we missed |
 The Bus/General Store in "downtown" Langar the next morning |
 A house along the main road, Langar, Wakhan Valley |
 Two guys walking the deserted main street of Langar, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 Driving through the trees of Langar headed west down the Wakhan Valley |
 Today's destination is Khorog, the capital of the GBAO, 250 km away |
 Eroded hill outside Langar |
 Tajikistan side of the Wakhan Valley |
 Welcome to the peaceful Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
 Departing Langar to explore the Wakhan Valley of Tajikistan |
 Sheep grazing on the valley floor outside Langar |