Excursion to the mounds of Beshatyr from Almaty -
Archaeological tours in Altyn-Emel Park -
In the picturesque valley of the Ili River, where the foothills of the Dzungarian Alatau meet the endless steppes, the mysterious mounds of Beshatyr have been rising for more than two and a half millennia. This ancient necropolis, whose name translates as "Five Tents", represents the silent guardians of history - 31 mounds, among which five gigantic royal tombs, reaching a height of 15-20 meters, stand out. These ancient tombs are associated with the Saka civilization, one of the powerful Iranian-speaking peoples who inhabited the steppes of Central Asia. Some of the mounds are surrounded by stone steles (uncut large stone blocks).
The main feature of the Beshatyr mounds is their scale. The largest mound reaches 17 meters in height and about 100 meters in diameter. It is surrounded by a ring of vertically standing menhir stones, on which mysterious symbols, images of animals and solar signs are applied. Scientists believe that these menhirs played a cult role, perhaps marking the boundaries of sacred space or serving as astronomical landmarks.
Built in the 6th-3rd centuries BC by nomadic Saka tribes, these mounds preserve the memory of the great epoch, when legendary tribes roamed the vast expanses of Eurasia, which Persian sources called "Saks", and Greek historians - "Asian Scythians". Each of these earthen mounds is not just a grave, but a complex architectural structure consisting of stone mounds with internal wooden structures made of Tien Shan spruce, surrounded by circular fences of vertically standing menhir stones.
Archaeological excavations begun here in the 1950s have yielded amazing finds: exquisite gold jewelry made in the famous animal style, battle akinaks with elaborately decorated hilts, ritual objects and even the remains of funeral chariots. Of particular interest are the "empty" mounds - perhaps they were cenotaphs, symbolic graves for those who died in distant campaigns, or traces of ancient robbers who left behind only memories of past treasures. A museum has been made in one of the mounds, the interior of the mound is presented here, a special installation and entrance have been made.
But Besshatyr was not just a cemetery for the ancient Sakas. This place had the deepest sacred significance - kings and military nobility were buried here, complex rituals were performed, and the location of the mounds indicates that the complex could serve as a kind of astronomical observatory. The orientation of the buildings to the cardinal points, the carefully thought–out layout - all this speaks to the high level of knowledge and spiritual ideas of the ancient nomads. Inside the central mounds, archaeologists have discovered complex wooden structures – peculiar tombs made of thick logs, carefully processed and assembled without nails. Along with human remains, jewelry, weapons, ceramics, bronze objects and horse harnesses were found here – everything that symbolized the status and wealth of the buried.
Locals have been making up legends about this mysterious place for centuries. Some talk about the heroes sleeping under the mounds, who will wake up when the Kazakh land is in danger. Others are about the "golden woman," a mighty queen buried in golden armor. Traditionally, shepherds avoided grazing cattle near the mounds, believing that ancestral spirits who did not tolerate fuss lived here. The Saka culture was characterized by a high level of crafts, military organization, and spiritual beliefs. There is an assumption that each mound symbolized the passage of the soul to another world, and the territory of the Beshatyr necropolis itself was considered the gateway between the worlds of the living and the dead. This is confirmed by the found rock carvings and the location of the burial complexes along the north-south axis.
Modern researchers, armed with ground-penetrating radar and DNA analysis methods, continue to uncover the secrets of Beshatyr. In 2021, this unique complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, which underlines its global importance. However, many questions remain unanswered - how exactly did the ancient builders transport the huge stones, where did many of the artifacts disappear, and why was this particular place chosen?
Today, the Beshatyr mounds are one of the main cultural and historical sites of Altyn-Emel. They are protected by the state and included in the list of monuments of national importance. This place attracts scientists, tourists and anyone interested in the history of Kazakhstan. A walk through this ancient land leaves a deep impression: it seems as if the stones and hills whisper the stories of bygone eras, preserving the spirit of the ancestors in the eternity of the Kazakh steppe. The best time to visit is spring or autumn, when the steppe comes to life or, conversely, dresses in golden tones. The complex is especially impressive at sunset, when the long shadows from the mounds create the feeling that time has stopped, taking us back to the era of the legendary Saka kings and fearless warriors of the Great Steppe.
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