A Trip to the Buddhist Rock Images of Tamgaly-Tas on the Ili River

The best time for a trip to the Painted Rocks, as this place is sometimes called, is April-May, when life is in full swing in the steppe, the singing of larks fills the air, yellow-orange tulips are scattered along the road, and a little later, in May, poppies cover the surroundings with a red carpet. This bountiful time in the steppe passes very quickly.
The valley of Tamgaly-Tas (the name translates as “a stone with drawings”) is located about 120 km northwest of Almaty. Passing the Kapchagay Reservoir, you can make a short stop to stretch your legs and admire the wide expanse of water.

In good weather you can even see from here the white mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau, seemingly hanging in the air. The reservoir itself is also an interesting sight – it is our man-made sea, more than 90 kilometers long and rich in fish; in summer it is a chance to sunbathe and swim without traveling to distant lands. After driving a couple of kilometers along the highway, you will turn onto the road leading to Bakanas and find yourself in boundless open spaces. Here and there, in the distance, you will see flocks of sheep and herds of horses – a classic landscape of the Kazakh steppe.

At the 95 km mark there is a turn-off from the asphalt onto a dirt road, and here you will understand the expression “dust rising in a pillar”. After driving for about 30 minutes, you will find yourself on a kind of hillock from which a wonderful view opens up of the rocky canyons and the green-blue ribbon of the river. On sunny spring days the air is filled with the scent of wormwood – it is the young sagebrush that smells so. It is simply not a place but a photo model! Foreigners call it “the Kazakh Arizona”. I do not know what it is like in Arizona, but here it is beautiful.

Then you will continue your way along a steep descent among clean sand, where you can spot a little turtle, a monitor lizard, a lizard or a snake. After the descent the road will go left; to your right lies the valley of the Ili River, and to your left gentle hills with rocky outcrops covered with flowers and blossoming bushes. The final destination of the journey is a large rocky massif that has served mountaineers and rock climbers for many years as a venue for training and competitions. So you will be able to see this interesting sight as well.

Here you leave your vehicle and walk along the rocky massif upstream along the river. On a large reddish rock, as on a huge natural canvas, the central part of the complex is depicted – Buddha Shakya Muni and two Burkans (helpers) – Man-La and Chon Rai Chik. The names of the figures are written beneath the images. A little lower, to the left of this canvas, a Burhan with snakes is depicted on a separate stone. This is a guardian; the snakes around his head are depicted horned – these are mythical serpents. According to Buddhist beliefs, the snakes will not let a person with evil thoughts pass to the center of the complex, as to a shrine. Ignorance and the unwillingness to improve oneself were also considered one of the main evils, an obstacle on a person’s path to the truth. Burhan Chon Rai Chik (he is in the center, his image is larger, he is many-armed and his garments are richly decorated) is the “one who cuts the bonds of ignorance”, while the Burhan on the right is the “keeper of wisdom”.

The composition is completed by the image of Buddha Shakya Muni himself, in the left part of the monolith – modestly depicted, greeting the worthy with a kind smile. The delicate technique of the stone carving, the austerity, the precision of the drawing and the elegance of the lines are striking.

Below this complex, a little further on almost beside the road, there is a free-standing image of the Buddha, with texts beside it that have not been translated. Some of the inscriptions of the complex are considered to be the Buddhist prayer formula “Om mani pad me hum”. Judging by the character of the inscriptions, scholars suggest that this image appeared somewhat earlier than the main complex.

The drawings and inscriptions of Tamgaly-Tas were first surveyed and described back in the mid-19th century by the outstanding Kazakh researcher Ch. Valikhanov. He compiled a description of the monument and sketched the images and inscriptions. Later, many scholars and researchers of modern times turned to them. The dating of the drawings raised many questions, but the accepted one holds that this composition was created during the reign of the Dzungar Khan Erdeni Batur Khong Taiji, when a truce agreement (1646-1650) was signed between the Kazakh Khan Zhangir and the Dzungar Erdeni Batur. It was precisely in this period that images of the Burkans and the Buddha became widespread.

Today Tamgaly-Tas has become a place of mass tourism and, unfortunately, this sometimes leads to the barbaric destruction of the monument. It urgently needs protection and restoration.

After viewing the historic monument, I recommend that you go inside the rocky massif and walk through the small valley surrounded on all sides by rocks, which rock climbers call “the harbor”. Then, following a clearly defined steep path up and to the right, climb the rocks. From there a truly impressive picture opens up: the river valley, the hills stretching into the distance, and far to the right on the opposite bank stands a model of a medieval Asian castle. It remained after the filming of the movie “The Nomad” and has taken root in these places ever since.

Below are links that you can follow to read detailed descriptions of weekend tours and excursions from Almaty, where you can visit the Tamgaly tract. The Tamgaly tract is one of the rock art complexes of Almaty Region and a historic landmark of Kazakhstan. Have pleasant travels and unforgettable impressions!

A Trip to the Buddhist Drawings of Tamgaly-Tas on the Ili River

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