Tour of the Maly Koytas Petroglyphs (Boars of Maly Koytas)
The Maly Koytas petroglyphs, one of the most interesting places in the Almaty region, are located at an altitude of 1,230 meters above sea level in a hilly mountainous area next to the Usek River in the Panfilofsky district.
The main central place with petroglyphs is located 35 kilometers from the city of Zharkent (Kazakh-Chinese border). The images are made in a typical style for this region, here you can find images of wild and domestic animals, images of horses, wild boars, deer, mountain goats, and horsemen on horseback.
The petroglyphs date back to the Early Bronze and Iron Ages.
GPS coordinates of the Maly Koytas petroglyphs: 44°27'28"N 79°49'12"E
- Distance of the route:
754 km
- Season time:
May - September
- Best time:
June - August
- Group size:
not more 12 person
- Days & nights:
2 days - 1 night
Tour itinerary:
Almaty City – Bakovskaya Road – Kokpek Village – Chundzha Village – Koktal Village – Aulie-Agash Village – Enbekshi Village – Maly Koytas Rock Art (377 km).
After breakfast, we'll head to one of the largest rivers in Southern Kazakhstan, the Ili River, which originates in the Tien Shan Mountains in China at an altitude of 3,540 m. The river is 1,439 km long, most of which is in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan, where it flows into the western part of Lake Balkhash.
After passing Koktal Village, our route will follow the Usek River into the Dzungarian Alatau Gorge. Upon reaching the village of Enbekshi, located in the beautiful valley of the Usek River, we stop and take photos to capture the variety of clays of different colors that make up the cliff located in the eastern part of the village.
After lunch at a Uyghur cafe near the village of Chundzha, we head to the Maly Koytas petroglyphs. Upon reaching the site, we set up camp and hike to the rock carvings on a nearby hill. Then, we return to camp for dinner and rest.
Maly Koytas Rock Carvings – Aulie-Agash Village – Almaty (377 km).
After breakfast, we hike across the bridge over the Maly Usek River to the opposite bank. There, we explore petroglyphs depicting boars carved into stone near the bridge.
Next, we hike to the hill where most of the Maly Koitas rock carvings are located. We explore and take photos. Afterward, we return to the camp by the Maly Usek River. We have lunch and drive to the sacred Aulie-Agash tree, located thirty kilometers away. This tree is 700 years old.
We stroll through the ash grove and the surrounding area, taking photos. After finishing our walk, we return to Almaty.
Photogallery:
