Walking in the vicinity of the Burgulyuk gorge.

“What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies”

Jack Kerouac, «On the Road».

A trip from Shymkent to the Bargulyuk gorge.

The Burgulyuk gorge (Kaz. Birkulik - Birkolik) is located in the mountains of the Western Tien Shan on the western slope of the Ugam range in the Toleibi district of Turkestan region. The gorge begins at an altitude of 1010 meters above sea level and ends in the upper reaches of the Burgulyuk River on the northern slopes of the Uluchur Ridge at an altitude of 2530 meters above sea level.
The length of the gorge from the source of the Bourguluk River to the mouth with the Kyzibulak River is 8.6 kilometers. The beginning of the Bourgoulyuk gorge, in the vicinity of the village of the same name (until 2001 Skreplevo, part of the Alatau rural district) to the district center of the Toleibi district of the village of Lenger - 17 kilometers, to Shymkent - 50 kilometers.
The average temperature of the area is in winter - 4 ° C, in spring + 18 ° C, in summer + 22 ° C, in autumn + 13 ° C. Flora is represented by an abundance of coniferous and deciduous species, pine, Tien-Shan spruce, oaks, plane trees, barberry, chestnuts, rosehips and others.
According to one of the legends, the gorge got its name because of its size, more precisely, its width - "one cart" or "one cart", which in Kazakh sounds like bir kulik. Under the influence of the Russian language, it was transformed into Burgulyuk, however, the name Birkolik (Birklik) is currently in use.
In Soviet times, the only children’s tourist camp named after Valentina Tereshkova functioned here in the Kazakh SSR. In the so-called Lunnaya Polyana, not far from the camp, climbing competitions were held annually.
In 1973 - 1976 on the left bank of the river on a hill below the tourist camp in search of monuments of material culture of the Kangyu era, excavations were carried out by the archaeological expedition of the Shymkent Pedagogical Institute, headed by the famous Kazakhstani archaeologist Nikolai Pavlovich Podushkin.
Three excavations were laid to a depth of one and a half meters, occupying two-thirds of the area of ​​settlements. The adobe walls, tandoor stoves, and the remnants of kitchen utensils - vessels such as “hum” and “humcha” were found, but these findings belonged to the late Middle Ages - XVI - XVIII centuries.
A few years ago in the tract expedition of South Kazakhstan State University. M. Auezov under the leadership of the doctor of historical sciences Baurzhan Baitanaeva new excavations were carried out. Objects were found that belong to different eras - the Kangyuy era, the Otrar-Karatau culture, the era of the Karakhanids of the XIth - XIIth centuries.
Excavating the settlements, the researchers also found two burial grounds of the Early Iron Age, including up to 30 mounds located from east to west. Currently functioning here, founded back in the late 70s. XX century as a sanatorium, a comfortable 200-seater sanatorium "Birkulik", offering its visitors relaxation and treatment.

Authority:
Alexander Petrov. http://www.ontustiktravel.kz

Photos

Alexander Petrov.