Saimaluu Tash
Encyclopedia
Saimaluu Tash is a petroglyph
site in Jalal-Abad Province
, Kyrgyzstan
, south of Kazarman
. It is on the Ferghana Range at about 3,200 meters in two high valleys, separated by a low mountain ridge. Over 10,000 carved pictures have so far been identified, making the site a worldwide important rock-art collection. The petroglyphs are thought to date from 2000BC up into the Middle Ages. The reason for a concentration in this place does not seem to be known. The site was first recognised by Europeans in 1902, but was largely forgotten until 1950 when an excavation was conducted. It is now under sporadic investigation by the Institute of Archeology in Bishkek.
The site can be reached in about a day on foot or horseback, but only around the month of August. At other times, snow conditions make it impractical to reach.
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
site in Jalal-Abad Province
Jalal-Abad Province
Jalal-Abad Province, also known as Jalalabat , is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is the city of the same name, Jalal-Abad. It is surrounded by Talas Province, Chui Province, Naryn Province, Osh Province and Uzbekistan. The Jalal-Abad Province was established on November 21, 1939...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, south of Kazarman
Kazarman
Kazarman is the capital of Toguz-Toro District, Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan on the Naryn River. One source rather impolitely says that "this poor dust-blown settlement in northern Jalal-Abad Province has something of the sinister reputation of a tough mining town down on its luck". The Makmal...
. It is on the Ferghana Range at about 3,200 meters in two high valleys, separated by a low mountain ridge. Over 10,000 carved pictures have so far been identified, making the site a worldwide important rock-art collection. The petroglyphs are thought to date from 2000BC up into the Middle Ages. The reason for a concentration in this place does not seem to be known. The site was first recognised by Europeans in 1902, but was largely forgotten until 1950 when an excavation was conducted. It is now under sporadic investigation by the Institute of Archeology in Bishkek.
The site can be reached in about a day on foot or horseback, but only around the month of August. At other times, snow conditions make it impractical to reach.
External links
- About Saimaluu Tash at a local Tour operator's site
- Saimaluu Tash submission in 2001 at the UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...