Badakhshan Mountain Autonomous Region (BMAR, also called the Pamirs or Badakhshan Mountain) in Tajikistan, known as the Roof of the World, has for many years attracted tourists and travelers to its rich recreational possibilities. Traditionally the whole territory of BMAR, also called the Roof of the World (from the Tajik bomi chakhon) or the Foot of the Sun (from the Tajik poi mekhr), has been known as the Pamirs. The Pamirs is a mountainous region in Central Asia with a total area of 92 thousand square kilometers, 69.2 % of which belongs to the BMAR of Tajikistan, with the remaining 39.8 % of the territory located in the eastern and southern parts belonging to the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Its location in Central Asia provides a favorable physical and geographical position and unique recreational resources of international importance. The Pamirs form one of the highest mountainous regions of the world and are characterized by specific natural conditions. Its natural distinctive features include a closed mountainous area with high peaks, deep ascents and canyons plunging down to river valleys. The average height of the mountains is 5000-6000 m, the highest being I. Somoni Peak (former Peak of Communism) at 7,495 m.
This region was the highest mountain system of the former USSR, located between the Hindu Kush and Tien Shan mountain systems. Today it is high on the list of top priority regions for tourist development with its severe, unique natural landscape location, mountainous and climatic conditions, clear air, and dry climate rich with ozone and phytoncid volatile compounds, which clean the air from various pathogenic microbes.
Due to the rich tourist potential the Pamir region is known as a second Switzerland. In the 1980s the recreational potential of the USSR was assessed by the Commission of the World Tourist Organization (WTO), and the Pamir region along with the Tien Shan were rated as the most prospective regions for development of tourism in the post-Soviet area. This region has large natural, cultural and historical potential, with over thirty kinds of tourist and recreational trends possible here. According to experts, if properly managed the tourist income from BMAR could provide the complete budget of Tajikistan and increase the living standard of the population significantly only at the expense of this sector. Of course, the general feature of BMAR landscapes is its high altitude. The natural areas spread out in the lowlands over many thousands of kilometers, here occupy only several hundred meters, which creates unique opportunities for the organization of various tourist and recreational activities in the highly restricted area. Moreover, there are extreme natural conditions and how to overcome them is one of the practical problems the tourism industry faces. There is a surprisingly rich ecosystem with diverse and unique natural beauty, rich flora and fauna and contrasting climatic factors. There is the mountainous desert of the severe Eastern Pamir with its unique and rare animal world and alpine flora. In the center is agricultural Badakhshan with interesting valleys, and wide-ranging vegetation, including mulberry, apricot, peach trees, spectacular walnut trees and more. The lower part of the Pamir (Darwaz) region has subtropical conditions and plenty of wild grapes, pomegranates, fig trees, persimmons, pistachios, almonds and other plants of subtropical flora rarely seen in other areas of the Republic. Here you can see rare species of the animal world wild boars, bears, foxes, wolves, hares. This region is a rich ornithological source. Darwaz is also famous for its beautiful waterfalls, relic plane trees, and firs. Currently the most important trend of the recreational potential of Pamir is various forms of tourist trips and recreation. Famous snowy mountains, bare rocks, alluring natural and landscape scenery are especially popular with new tourists. There is great interest in local ecological conditions, mountain sports, fishing, hunting and so on. Journey along picturesque valleys, landscapes, duration of sunshine. There are many opportunities for visit the natural and historical diversity of flora and fauna, and the tourist entertainment and the monuments, numerous deep lakes natural opportunities for mountain development of tourism industries in (over 2,000), broad glaciers and full- climbing, rock-climbing, mountain Pamir. flowing rivers, and numerous exotic large and small waterfalls, too many to number. The mineral and geothermal springs with their healing properties, are also very popular. There are over seventy of which twenty-eight are thermal. There are plenty of drinkable and narzan springs. The region is rich in herbal medical resources, exotic flora and fauna, mines, mines of precious stones, valuable fruits, springs, crystal-clear air and water. The ideal condition of the glaciers and lakes of the region is maintained by the Gunt, Panj, Bartang, Yazgulyam and other rivers. The Pamir region not only provides water for the whole Central Asian region, it also influences the weather of the vast region. In short there is something to interest all guests and tourists. Scientists have estimated that the Pamir region is one of the clearest ecological areas in the world. There is no industry polluting the ambient air here. It is remarkable for its extraordinary transparency with a low content of aerosol. It has a rich solar spectrum ranging from ultraviolet to long infra-red rays. The Pamirs have a record-breaking number of sunny days: up to 280 a year. The temperature and humidity vary enormously, and the sunrise and sunset against the background of peaks are something to see. Of great recreational potential are the lakes and rivers of the Pamir region. There are over 1,500, most containing crystal-clear fresh water, unique ichthyofauna, as well as rich endemic flora and fauna. In the Pamirs there is a wide range of programs on offer to tourists from boat trips on lakes, fishing, or insect catching, to excursions and trips around the surrounding lakes, underwater trips and complicated ascents of peaks in the highest mountain systems of the world.

There is also the prospect of interesting journeys along natural landscapes, caves to mineral springs, thermal and cold carbonic acid and silicate waters of adventurous tourism, hunting, mountain climbing and ecological tourism. Situated on the Great Silk Road, the Pamir region was always of interest to tourists and travelers for its numerous historical and archeological monuments dating back several thousand years. There is the famous fortress Kakh-Kakha of pre-lslamic period of Zoroastrianism, the fortresses of Roshtkala, Van-kala, Kalai Vomar, and memorable religious sacred places of Zaynulobidin, the third imam of the Ismailids not far from the regional center, and of Mukhammad Bakir, fourth imam, in the Gunt Valley, and Imam Djafar Sadik, the fifth imam, in Darwaz District. Many places are associated with Nosiri Khisraw, a classic of Tajik literature, and a great scientist and philosopher of the 9th century. Because the region was located in a dangerous border area during Soviet times (the eastern part of the region borders on China, and the western one on Afghanistan, and the Pamir region was separated from India and Pakistan by the narrow Afghan Passage of 15- 30 km width), it was made a closed zone with a special visa regime. It was very difficult to gain access even for local residents temporarily registered in other regions of the republic or outside, not to mention citizens of other states wishing to come and see friends, have a holiday, or to admire the mountain scenery. The latter rarely succeeded in obtaining an invitation. Local authorities were therefore reluctant to give much attention to this sector and the Pamir region was not developed as a recreational area in the Soviet period. In post-Soviet times the sovereign Republic experienced some hard blows, first, loss of all economic relations with the former republics of the Soviet Union, and in addition to this, the outbreak of civil conflict in the Republic.