Burkhansai Gorge
Kazakhstan · Asia
Over 1,200 petroglyphs and a rare, personal Old Turkic runic inscription — “My name is Aba” — announced by Kazakh archaeologists in 2026.
Age
~4,000 yrs
Period
Bronze Age to Medieval
Setting
Open-air
Art form
Petroglyphs
Discovered
2024
Status
Open (Remote Gorge)
A gorge in the Karatau country of southern Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl Region, where archaeologists from the A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology have been recording rock art since 2024 — more than 1,200 carvings so far, announced in June 2026. The images run from the Bronze Age to recent centuries and centre on wild goats, camels, herding life and the hunt, while ancient burial grounds share the gorge floor. Rarest of all is a short Old Turkic runic inscription that simply says: “My name is Aba.”
Notable Features
- ◦ 1,200+ petroglyphs in five clusters
- ◦ Old Turkic runic inscription: “My name is Aba”
- ◦ Goats, camels and hunting imagery spanning four millennia
Depicted Subjects
CamelsGoatsHunting ScenesRunic Inscriptions
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.