TAMGALY MONUMENT COMPLEX

The natural boundary of Tamgaly is located in 170 km. to northwest of Almaty in the Anrakhai mountains. Burial grounds, petroglyphs and cult places which create the uniform sacral territory used by people during more than two thousand years enter into the monument complex. At the end of the 1950s, a very unique sanctuary with petroglyphic paintings of Tamgaly was discovered in the mountains of Anrakhai. Research work on them started in the 1970-1980s. The majority of Petroglyphs are located in the lower part of the main canyon, and in a side canyon, which is adjacent to it from the west, as well as in seven small canyons that are located to the northwest of the main canyon. The total number of paintings in the main canyon is approximately 2,000. All of them are conditionally divided into seven groups. The numbering of the groups starts from the estuary of the canyon. Ancient burial places (burial grounds) is one of the principal sites of Tamgaly complex. 7 burial grounds of this epoch (for Tamgaly ? 1, 2, 4-6, Karakuduk ? 2) are known on the territory of the natural boundary grouped mainly along the basic valley, on the right and left Tamgaly river banks. Here one can find the images of sun-headed idols, disguised warriors, married couples, women in childbirth. There are also compositions with many figures, portraying images of people and animals in scenes of hunting and bull sacrifice. Excavation of the burial grounds in Tamgaly was made in 1957. The investigated monuments related to the epoch of early iron and are dated by A. Maksimova (1958) within 3 century BC ? 2 century AD. In 1999 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has defined Tamgaly as one of priority monuments of the country for a nomination in 2001-2002. According to special governmental resolution of the Republic of Kazakhstan from October, 5, 2001 Archaeological complex of Tamgaly has received the status of the monument with national value. Source: Kazakhstan, National Encyclopedia, Vol. 5