344:(the long-horned ibex of the Turkish era was more frequent), horses, lions, and wolves. Another common drawing is of hunting scenes of deer, with large antlers in particular; in these scenes the hunters are shown using bows, arrows, clubs and spears to hunt the animals. There are also fights between individual men or small groups depicted. The artists perhaps portrayed their feelings of gratitude to the spirits of the mountain after a good crop or a successful hunting expedition. Agricultural operation such as tilling the land was a common theme, though the alleged scenes with ploughs are seen by most rather as scenes with chariots, the chariots being reduced to two small wheels. Other scenes are of ritual dances, the sun, wavy designs representing the flow of rivers, and sexual scenes. There are Bronze Age pictures that show signs of an early sun cult with solar headed anthropomorphic figures. Many other stones show petroglyphs of chariots drawn mainly by bovines. The horse only began to play a role towards the end of the Bronze Age when people learned to ride horses effectively. An early Bronze Age bull cult with bulls showing elongated horns can be observed.
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millenium BC with the arrival of the Saka-Scythian animal style. For the late
Neolithic and then the Bronze Age many different styles are attested in Saimaluu Tash, one being the so called bitriangular style showing animals and humans with a wasp waist. The very specific bitriangular style may have been connected to a distinct ethnic group in the Ferghana valley. The site was sacred to the people of
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275:. From Kazarman village for a short distance there is a road on which only jeeps can ply but the rest of the way to the site can be reached in about a day on foot or horseback, but only around the month of August. It is a strenuous climb. At other times, snow conditions make it impractical to reach. The trek involves three days by jeep and seven days by horse.
320:. This society then mounted an expedition to further examine the site. However, the site was forgotten until 1950. After an excavation was conducted, the petroglyphs were specifically identified, numbered and their age determined. It is now under sporadic investigation by the Institute of Archaeology in Bishkek. Neolithic age petroglyphs are on display in the
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cartographers in 1902 when they were carrying out surveys in the area for a road project to link a military camp between Jalal-Abad and Naryn; this road is now in use via
Kazarman. One of the cartographers, Nikolai Khludov, who had heard tales from a shepherd of "painted stones" in close vicinity to
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by the Kyrgyz
National Commission for UNESCO on 29 January 2001. It is listed under the UNESCO's Tentative List as "Saimaly-Tash Petroglyphs" for inscription under Cultural Category under Criteria: (iii), (iv) and (vi). It is part of the larger Saymaluu-Tash Nature Park, which was established in May
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The petroglyphs created in large galleries are thought to date from the early 3rd millenium BC to the Iron Age and up into the Middle Ages, though there are only a very few pictures from the Iron Age or Middle Ages. Exact dating of the rock art is controversial and only reliable from the first
243:. The pictures have been pecked into the near black or grey shiny desert varnish covering many rocks. Most pictures are from the Bronze Age (2500 - 900 BC) and show animals, humans and symbols. They may partly be seen as a sacred display of offerings of the ancient people of the lower valley.
479:[Об организации государственного природного парка Саймалуу-Таш в Тогуз-Тороуском районе Джалал-Абадской области и государственного природного парка Салкын-Тор в Нарынском районе Нарынской области] (Decree of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic 249) (in Russian). 25 May 2001.
311:, and is even now sacred to the modern generation of Kyrgizians for spiritual and healing qualities. It is part of the spiritual ethos of the peoples' "religious beliefs and their worship of mountains, nature, totems and solar cosmic images." The site was first recognized by
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Saimaluu-Tash 1, which extends over a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), contains petroglyphs etched on stones covered by a dark grey desert varnish. Most stones are located in long flows of stones, i.e. ground moraines. There is a small lake here where
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239:. Over 10,000 stones bear pictures—perhaps as many as 98,000 pictures in all—which are black-and-white rock paintings, making the site a globally important collection of
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On establishment of the State Nature Park
Saimaluu-Tash in Toguz-Toro District of Jalal-Abad Province and State Nature Park Salkyn-Tor in Naryn District of Naryn Region
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at about 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) in two high valleys, separated by a low mountain ridge. The site is 30 kilometres (19 mi) away to the south of
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may have performed sacred rites. Petroglyphs of several designs at this site have been identified on stones. The most common designs are animals like
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their camp, decided to examine the site with a team of surveyors. He reported his findings of the petroglyphs to the
Archaeological Society of
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The nature park is crossed by a number of rivers that spring from the
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Archaeologists have bifurcated the site, calling the parts "Saimaluu-Tash 1" and "Saimaluu-Tash 2."
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Mayhew, Bradley; Elliott, Mark; Masters, Tom; Noble, John (1 April 2014).
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Flying Deer and Sun Gods: Prehistoric
Societies in Central Asian Rock Art
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Saimaluu Tash: Ancient Rock Art in the High
Mountains of Kyrgyzstan
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2001, and covers 320.072 km (123.580 sq mi).
585:"Saimaluu-Tash Petroglyphs – A view from our expert author"
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Specially
Protected Areas and Biodiversity of Kyrgyzstan
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About
Saimaluu Tash at a local Tour operator's site
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399:. Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourist Association
294:is "place of patterned or embroidered stone".
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251:The site was proposed for listing under the
623:Rock Art in Central Asia - A Thematic Study
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27:: Саймалуу-Таш мамлекеттик жаратылыш паркы
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1020:Integrated Reserves (IUCN Category IV)
661:Mitchell, Laurence (5 February 2015).
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267:The petroglyph site is located in the
1041:Botanical Reserves (IUCN Category IV)
107:Saymaluu-Tash (West and Central Asia)
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916:Nature Monuments (IUCN Category III)
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1324:Protected areas established in 2001
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290:The meaning of 'Saymaluu-Tash' in
204:Logo of Saymaluu-Tash Nature Park.
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779:Nature Reserves (IUCN Category I)
525:"Saymaluu-Tash State Nature Park"
110:Show map of West and Central Asia
1170:Game Reserves (IUCN Category IV)
732:Saimaluu Tash submission in 2001
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840:Nature Parks (IUCN Category II)
553:. Oriental Express Central Asia
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646:. Lonely Planet Publications.
551:"Petroglyphs of Saimaluu-Tash"
322:Kyrgyz State Historical Museum
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772:Protected areas of Kyrgyzstan
1329:National parks of Kyrgyzstan
256:List of World Heritage Sites
52:Petroglyphs at Saymaluu-Tash
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643:Lonely Planet Central Asia
455:"Saimaly-Tash Petroglyphs"
991:Kögüchkön-Sugat Waterfall
701:Reckel, Johannes (2024).
682:Reckel, Johannes (2022).
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19:Saymaluu-Tash Nature Park
667:. Bradt Travel Guides.
621:Clottes, Jean (2011).
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82:Show map of Kyrgyzstan
79:Location in Kyrgyzstan
457:. UNESCO Organization
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923:Abshir-Ata Waterfall
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124:Toguz-Toro District
1011:Ysyk-Ata Waterfall
943:Barskoon Waterfall
606:Mayhew et al. 2014
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1006:Tegerek Waterfall
986:Kara-Jygach Rocks
712:978-3-96176-183-8
693:978-3-945869-21-5
674:978-1-84162-856-1
653:978-1-74300-078-6
632:978-2-918086-08-6
587:. bradtguides.com
229:Jalal-Abad Region
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167:41.183°N 73.817°E
128:Jalal-Abad Region
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1334:Rock art in Asia
1319:IUCN Category II
996:Kök-Jerty Canyon
954:Chil-Mayram Cave
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1283:Kichi Ak-Suu
1146:Shilbili-Say
1056:(Khaydarken)
975:Jiydeli Cave
965:Dangi Canyon
956:(Beshüngkür)
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887:Khan-Tengiri
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615:Bibliography
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589:. Retrieved
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531:(in Russian)
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217:Саймалуу-Таш
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1258:Baltyr-Khan
1116:Kyrgyz-Gava
1106:Kosh-Tektir
862:Chong-Kemin
821:Sary-Chelek
816:Padysha-Ata
591:24 November
557:24 November
461:24 November
403:24 November
235:, south of
223:site and a
191:Established
170: /
146:Coordinates
1313:Categories
1298:Uzun-Akmat
1293:Miskin-Say
1237:Toguz-Toro
1207:Jargylchak
1187:Chatyr-Köl
1182:Chandalash
1141:Sary-Mogol
1136:Ryazan-Say
1111:Kyrgyz-Ata
1101:Jel-Tiybes
1081:Chong-Aryk
1060:Aygül-Tash
960:Chil-Ustun
902:Salkyn-Tör
892:Kyrgyz-Ata
877:Kara-Shoro
872:Kara-Buura
664:Kyrgyzstan
535:11 January
497:11 January
377:References
247:Protection
233:Kyrgyzstan
221:petroglyph
140:Kyrgyzstan
1217:Jeti-Ögüz
1131:Oy-Kayyng
1126:Ming-Kush
1096:Janggakty
1065:Baydamtal
980:Kan-i-Gut
867:Kan-Achuu
857:Besh-Tash
847:Ala-Archa
831:Surmatash
806:Kulun-Ata
796:Issyk-Kul
786:Besh-Aral
305:Tien Shan
286:Etymology
1288:Kuru-Köl
1278:Kayyngdy
1273:Jylgyndy
1268:Iyri-Suu
1222:Keng-Suu
1192:Chychkan
1177:Ak-Buura
1156:Suusamyr
1091:Chyrandy
1072:(Kanysh)
1054:Aydarken
328:Features
318:Tashkent
309:Ferghana
282:basin).
273:Kazarman
263:Location
241:rock art
237:Kazarman
120:Location
1227:Kochkor
1151:Sülüktü
1076:Chatkal
1070:Chanach
907:Sarkent
882:Karakol
791:Dashman
734:at the
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