Tamgaly-Tas Petroglyphs
Таңбалы тас
Large Buddha figures and six-syllable mantra carvings in Chinese and Todo Mongolian script on the cliffs of the Ili River, a classic stop on the way from Almaty to the national park.
Tamgaly-Tas lies on the right bank of the Ili River, upstream of the Kapchagay Reservoir. On the reddish-brown cliffs by the river are several Buddha figures and the six-syllable mantra in Tibetan and Todo Mongolian script. These are generally thought to date from the Dzungar period of the 17th and 18th centuries. Older Bronze Age animal rock art is also found here. The carvings stretch for several hundred metres along the river, and it takes about an hour on foot to see them all. The riverbank has wide views. The drive from Almaty takes about 2.5 hours, and the last section is a dirt road. Most hired-car trips to Altyn-Emel make a stop here. Note that this site is different from the UNESCO World Heritage rock art site of Tamgaly northwest of Almaty.
Opening hours
All day