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Tereksai Petroglyphs
In the Western Tien-Shan mountains, the Tereksai Petroglyphs reveal some of the history and cultural heritage of ancient civilisations.
As well as the natural wonders, the Chatkal State Biosphere Nature Reserve is home to some unique and significant collections of petroglyph images. One of the most famous collections is the Tereksai Petroglyphs, which contains some of the highest concentrations of life-size petroglyphs and geometric patterns. The discovered petroglyphs are thousands of years old, with some dated back to the Stone Age between 8000 BC and 2700 BC.
For many people in Uzbekistan, the lands of the reserve are revered and sacred. Archaeological rock carvings sites show groups of people that left their mark and cultural heritage on this land. The petroglyphs and pictographs provide symbolic communication between ages and show the spirituality of the people who once lived here. The preservation of rock paintings is a testament to cultural and scientific rock art research.
There are traditions and ceremonial engravings depicted on the rock surfaces. We pay respect to the importance of these images by observing petroglyph sites from a distance. They are allowing future generations to hear ancient stories from this national petroglyph monument.
