In Kazakhstan, there are many places with drawings of ancient people carved in stone. But one of them is the Tamgaly gorge, which is especially unique. The state historical, cultural and natural reserve "Tamgaly" was opened here, and in 2004 "Petroglyphs of the archaeological landscape of Tamgaly" were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Tamgaly gorge is located in 170 km from Almaty, near the village of Karabastau, Zhambyl district, Almaty region. Here, on a small territory in black basalt rocks, more than 3 thousand “paintings” are depicted, dating from the XIV century BC to the XIX-XX centuries.
Tamgaly petroglyphs have a great historical and artistic value. Many Tamgaly petroglyphs of the Bronze age are unique in rock art not only in Central Asia, but also in the world. There are images of animals - wild bulls, horses, kulans, deer, boars and wolves and also fantastic anthropomorphic characters, monsters with curved hooked hands, mythical unicorns, warriors with clubs and battle axes, as well as deities with radiant halos around their heads. A masterpiece of primitive rock art is a vertical panel with a whole picture - a composition of 7 solar characters, ten dancing male warriors with weapons, a pregnant woman and an erotic scene.
Numerous petroglyphs of the early Iron age (Saxs period) were made in the so-called “animal style”. These are scenes of hunting on wild animals, the pursuit of deer or goats by predators, a mounted warrior with a banner, military duels, scenes of sacrifice, nomadic life. Some drawings are made on top of earlier images.
The unique image of an elephant with a rider is a vivid evidence of the interchange of cultures of the Great Silk Road time.
A particular historical value have inscriptions (ancient Turkic runic IX-X centuries., Oirat late XVII-mid XVIII century., Kazakh XIX century.) and ancestral tamgas left on the rocks by different peoples, for whom the gorge of Tamgaly was a place of residence and a Shrine.
On the territory of Tamgaly, in addition to petroglyphs, there are also more than a hundred monuments, the origin of which belongs to different eras: burial grounds, altars, religious buildings.
Tamgaly gorge is located in 170 km from Almaty, near the village of Karabastau, Zhambyl district, Almaty region. Here, on a small territory in black basalt rocks, more than 3 thousand “paintings” are depicted, dating from the XIV century BC to the XIX-XX centuries.
Tamgaly petroglyphs have a great historical and artistic value. Many Tamgaly petroglyphs of the Bronze age are unique in rock art not only in Central Asia, but also in the world. There are images of animals - wild bulls, horses, kulans, deer, boars and wolves and also fantastic anthropomorphic characters, monsters with curved hooked hands, mythical unicorns, warriors with clubs and battle axes, as well as deities with radiant halos around their heads. A masterpiece of primitive rock art is a vertical panel with a whole picture - a composition of 7 solar characters, ten dancing male warriors with weapons, a pregnant woman and an erotic scene.
Numerous petroglyphs of the early Iron age (Saxs period) were made in the so-called “animal style”. These are scenes of hunting on wild animals, the pursuit of deer or goats by predators, a mounted warrior with a banner, military duels, scenes of sacrifice, nomadic life. Some drawings are made on top of earlier images.
The unique image of an elephant with a rider is a vivid evidence of the interchange of cultures of the Great Silk Road time.
A particular historical value have inscriptions (ancient Turkic runic IX-X centuries., Oirat late XVII-mid XVIII century., Kazakh XIX century.) and ancestral tamgas left on the rocks by different peoples, for whom the gorge of Tamgaly was a place of residence and a Shrine.
On the territory of Tamgaly, in addition to petroglyphs, there are also more than a hundred monuments, the origin of which belongs to different eras: burial grounds, altars, religious buildings.