Tamgaly Tas - the place where the ancient gods live

Almaty residents are not proud of their roots: this unique place has a rich history and nature. In the vicinity of the southern capital of Kazakhstan, there are many unique monuments that bear witness to the life of nomadic peoples. One of them is the natural boundary of Tamgaly Tas - a kind of gallery of ancient artists. In a relatively small area of the rocky terrain, more than five thousand petroglyphs and images, dating back to the Bronze and Türkic epochs, have been preserved.

That's why in the people this place was nicknamed "Writer's rocks".

Tamgaly Tas. Photo, history, legends. Famous inhabitants of the tract

Year after year thousands of tourists from all over Kazakhstan and the near abroad travel to Tamgaly Tas. Most of them purposefully move towards the main sight of the tract - the huge rock carvings of the three Buddhas: "Achieved enlightenment" by Shakyamuni, the "God of limitless light" Amitabha and the four-armed Lord Bodhisattva Arya Avalokitesvara.

Who, when and under what circumstances left these images here, is still not known. There are, however, popular beliefs explaining their origin.

They say that once on these trails were the monks from India. They were heading to Zhetysu (Semirechie) and had already reached the Ili River, when a strong earthquake began. According to one version, stones that have fallen from the mountains have blocked the way for travelers. They regarded it as a sign and turned back into their native lands. A more optimistic version of the legend says that the stones, as if purposely flew from a great height into a stormy river and formed one after another into a reliable crossing. The bridge, which appeared as if by magic, is still used by local residents.

Such controversial traditions are united by the ending: before continuing the path, the monks carved three huge Buddha images on the rocks of Tamgaly Tas, and the words of sacred mantras were left nearby. People believe that if you touch them, any illness will recede once and for all. This assumption is not without sense, because the images of the gods were left only in special places with a clearly positive energy.

According to another legend, inscriptions in the 17-18 centuries left the Kalmyks (nomadic tribes, the ancestors of Kazakhs). The style of writing belongs to the Oirat enlightener-Buddhist Zaya Pandita Ogtorguinu.

The most incredible, perhaps, the version can be called the following: in the fifties, "Kazakhfilm" filmed a documentary film commissioned by the USSR State Television and Radio. For the sake of this picture on the stones and were carved these drawings. But how then to explain the fact that the mention of petroglyphs is found in the writings of prominent ethnographers of the 19th century N. Pantusov and S. Ualikhanov?

Nature

But Tamgaly Tas is not only history, but also picturesque nature. The landscape that opens from the cliffs on the Ili River, conquers at first sight.

Here it is, the ideal place to be alone, merge with nature and meditate.

And this is a great opportunity to taste authentic Kazakh cuisine: yurts are nearby, where guests are treated with baursaks, koumiss, bespamark and other delicacies.

Tamgaly Tas - how to get by yourself

The issue is very urgent for visitors. To get to Tamgaly Tas can be in two ways: on the excursion bus or own car.

The first option is quite simple in execution - almost every travel agency in Almaty sells one-day tours to the tract. The route, as a rule, includes stops at the most outstanding places of the valley, and the guide tells about them in detail.

By car the road will take no more than two hours. You need to go through the city of Kapchagai, the Kapchagai reservoir and the Ili river. The track is pretty good, only on the last short leg starts priming. But it is also quite easy to ride along it: it is safely rolled away by a huge stream of cars striving for the ancient relic.

The festival uniting the peoples

In late April and early May, the annual international festival "Tamgaly Tas" is held in these places. The main part of its activities has a sporting focus: here are held mass alloys on Ili, competitions in sport mountaineering and motor sport, national games and games are actively practiced. At the same time, handicraftsmen and simply talented individuals are not left out. They conduct master classes and flash mobs, demonstrate their skills on evening shows. And with the onset of darkness, all the "inhabitants" of the camp gather around the fire and sing bard songs.

The modern paradox

Petroglyphs of Tamgaly are considered a national treasure and even protected by UNESCO. But Buddhist monuments have no such protection and will soon disappear forever. Some tourists also want to leave their "track in history", but beyond the banal "there were such and such" usually does not go. But who knows what will come to mind the most ingenious visitors. And the forces of nature do not leave the three gods a chance for eternal life. It remains to be hoped that with time the situation will change for the better, and a reserve will be built here.