Tamgaly - historical treasure
Tamgaly is famous petroglyph site in South East Kazakhstan, 170 km North of Almaty. This is the most famous and well-studied art monument of ancient people on the territory of Kazakhstan. It was estimated that there are 5000 petroglyphs and the majority of them are dated Bronze Age but in some cases Iron Age and Medieval.
The name Tamgaly in Kazakh and other Turkic languages means "marked place or a sign".
The wide and smooth surfaces of the rocks over many millennia of sun and wind influence became the ideal backdrop for this miraculous gallery, in which many generations of ancient masters - the creators of the rock drawings worked. Throughout the centuries, for different peoples who left their mark on the stones, Tamgaly had been a sacred place - the places where ritual ceremonies, magical rites, worship of the gods and spirits of ancestors took place. In Tamgaly, you can see 2 drawings next to each other which differ in color; as a rule, darker petroglyphs are the more ancient and medieval drawings look much lighter.
There is a great variety of subjects presented on the rock - from single animals images: people, horses, bulls, deer, goats, wild boars - to complex compositions of hunting, ritual dances. There is also a famous image of an anthropomorphic sun-headed deity with mysterious nimbus, consisting of circles, many rays, and dots, occupy a special place in the gallery of rock carvings.
The uniqueness and value of the petroglyphs of Tamgaly were recognized by the world community in 2004 when it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since that time, the monument is protected by the International Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Thanks to this support, the territory of the archaeological complex is kept clean, warning signs and have been put on the rocks. All touristic conditions for travelers who want to touch the past are created.
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