Saimaluu Tash

Saimaluu Tash (or Saimaly Tash, 'decorated stones' in Kyrgyz) 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.

External links

• About Saimaluu Tash at a local Tour operator's site
• Saimaluu Tash submission in 2001 at the UNESCO