| Saymaluu-Tash Nature Park | |
|---|---|
| Kyrgyz: Саймалуу-Таш мамлекеттик жаратылыш паркы | |
 Petroglyphs at Saymaluu-Tash | |
  Location in Kyrgyzstan  Saymaluu-Tash (West and Central Asia) | |
| Location | Toguz-Toro District, Jalal-Abad Region,  Kyrgyzstan |
| Coordinates | 41°11′N 73°49′E / 41.183°N 73.817°E |
| Area | 320.072 km2 (123.580 sq mi) |
| Established | 2001 |
Saymaluu-Tash (Kyrgyz: Саймалуу-Таш, in Russian Саймалы Таш, meaning 'embroidered' or 'patterned stones' in Kyrgyz[1]) is a petroglyph site and a national park in Jalal-Abad Region, Kyrgyzstan, south of Kazarman. Over 10,000 stones bear pictures—perhaps as many as 98,000 pictures in all[2]—which are black-and-white rock paintings, making the site a globally important collection of rock art.[1][3] The pictures have been pecked into the near black or grey shiny desert varnish covering many rocks. Most pictures are from the Bronze Age (2500 - 900 BC) and show animals, humans and symbols. They may partly be seen as a sacred display of offerings of the ancient people of the lower valley.[2]
- ^ a b "Saimaluu-Tash". Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourist Association. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
- ^ a b Mitchell 2015, pp. 249–50.
- ^ "Saimaly-Tash Petroglyphs". UNESCO Organization. Retrieved 24 November 2015.