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Ancient Tamgaly has been, for many centuries, a site
for rituals and ceremonies; engravings of these events are
preserved in its natural surroundings. Semirechye (meaning
'Seven Rivers') is the site of the most famous examples of
Kazakhstan's petroglyphic fine art. The pictures here
date back thousands of years, some of the earliest dated around
the eighth century. The region's ancient tribes have proved
to be very artistic, with around 80 percent of the paintings
dating from the Bronze Age.
Unearthing of Tamgaly
Although the study of this art form also goes back many years,
very little was known about them until recently. In the late
1950s, a unique collection of paintings was discovered in
the mountains of Anrakhai, and research began two decades
later to learn more about their meaning and the civilisations
that created them. As more sites are discovered and incorporated
into the research, it is possible to piece together the story
of Central Asia's ancestors, their rituals, and their beliefs.
Tamgaly civilisation
50 sites have so far been unearthed in Semirechye, along with
several on the natural boundary of Tamgaly. Next to these
petroglyphs, other monuments have been discovered which give
clues to these ancient people's lives, including settlements,
burial grounds, and sacrificial alters. All these
findings enable archaeologists to put together a picture of
these early civilisations.
Petroglyph imagery
These amazing artistic sites lie in the Anrakhai Mountains,
120 miles northwest of Almaty. Most are located in the lower
part of the main canyon where paintings number around 2,000.
Images displayed include sun-headed idols, warriors, marriage,
childbirth, and even one of Buddha. Solar symbols
were common and scenes of everyday life such as hunting
and bull fighting; sometimes a rare image of a chariot
appears.
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