Near Almaty there is a unique historical monument of culture - the petroglyphs of Tanbaly.
Petroglyphs are drawings on the surface of rocks, carved with stone or metal elements.
Tanbaly (Tamgaly, Tambaly) is a huge collection of more than 3,000 rock drawings of people and animals with images of dancing, scenes from life and hunting, dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. until the beginning of the 20th century.
Many people are confused about the name of this tourist site. The tract was originally called Tamgaly, but then it was renamed Tanbaly. To distinguish them from the Buddhist sanctuary of Tamgaly Tas on the bank of the Ili River, we call these petroglyphs UNESCO.
Kazakhstan's sharply continental climate, combined with nature and time, is destroying the ancestral heritage, which is why it was included in the UNESCO list of specially protected places in 2004.
Located 175 km from the city of Almaty, in Zhambyl district, near the village of Karabastau, the tract Tanbaly is of great historical value.
The area of the archaeological complex is more than 900 hectares, including the mountain Tanbaly.
Most of the petroglyphs are concentrated in the lower part of the main gorge and in the western gorge.
Tanbalay petroglyphs are divided into certain groups. Also quite clearly preserved cultural layers reflecting the historical development of culture.
Excursion to the petroglyphs of Tanbaly will appeal not only to fans and connoisseurs of history, but also to ordinary tourists, because it is an opportunity to touch the traces of bygone civilizations.
The main part of the tour goes through 7 main groups, petroglyphs in them are divided by time and semantic groups.
The semantic and compositional center of the Tanbaly sanctuary is in the center of the IV group 118 plane - a huge vertical rock with the image of six sun-headed deities. This place is an open-air temple.
It is called "Pantheon" and represents the Picture of the Universe. Counts 52 drawings, which include images of dancing people and a woman in childbirth.
The length of the tour route on the petroglyphs of Tanbaly is about 3 km, so we recommend choosing comfortable shoes and wearing headgear.
