Which mountain range is known as the 'Roof of the World'?

The Pamir Mountains are traditionally known as the “Roof of the World.”

The Pamirs occupy a high, rugged region of Central Asia, centered largely in Tajikistan and extending into Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan. Their nickname reflects both their great elevation and their position at the meeting point of several major Asian mountain systems.

The range joins or borders the Tian Shan, Kunlun, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. This makes the Pamirs a natural crossroads of high-mountain Asia. The phrase “Roof of the World” is associated with the Persian expression Bam-i-Dunya and became especially common in Western travel writing during the Victorian era.

A common mix-up is Tibet, which is also frequently described as the Roof of the World, particularly in modern popular writing. The phrase is not a formal geological name and can refer broadly to the Tibetan Plateau or other high regions. Among the mountain ranges listed here, however, the Pamirs are the traditional and canonical answer.

The Pamirs also contain important headwaters and historic travel corridors linking Central and South Asia.