Petroglyphs of Issyk-Kul region.

“Opinion, this is undoubtedly fair. There is no reason to deny the artistic inclination of modern Kirghiz; even in the newest mullushkas I happened to see on the walls images of horses, so recent that the paints had not yet had time to wear off. Local Russian intellectuals, in confirmation of the antiquity of the goats, refer to the fact that the images are found in places where one can climb only with the risk of life and that, consequently, they had a symbolic, probably religious meaning, since no one would dare to undertake such a feat out of a whim.”

“Report on a trip to Central Asia for scientific purposes. 1893-1894.” V. Bartold 1897.

Petroglyphs in vicinity of Lake Issyk-Kul.

Baskoon rock paintings are located at an altitude of 1632 meters above sea level, on left bank of river of same name, 800 meters southwest of river mouth, 3.2 kilometers southeast of village of Barskoon, on southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, 50 meters from Tamga - Barskoon road, in Jety-Oguz district of Issyk-Kul region.
The petroglyphs of the Issyk-Kul region were first mentioned in the works of Russian travelers and historians, such as V.V. Bartold, V.D. Gorodetsky and others, starting from the 80s of the XIX century. Even then, it was noted that the chronology of the drawings on the stone stretches from the Bronze Age to modern times.
In Soviet times, N.D. Cherkasov, G.A. Pomaskina, D.F. Vinnik studied the petroglyphs here. In recent years, the study of monuments of stone fine art was continued by K. Akmatov, K. Tabaldiev and others. In the lower part of the gorge, in the floodplain of the Barskoon River, mainly along its left bank, are the Barskoon rock paintings.
They are found in the area from the shore of the lake to the entrance to the gorge. On the stones and rocks are carved images of wild animals: goats, deer, horses, camels, hunting scenes and others. Goat figures predominate. Most of the images are given in the best traditions of the Scythian-Siberian animal style.
The drawings were left by the Saka tribes who lived in the Barskoon Valley in the VIIth - IIIrd centuries BC. The petroglyphs were discovered in 1959 by D. F. Vinnik. 
Geographical coordinates of Barskoon rock paintings: N42 ° 10'41 E77 ° 34'04

Authority and photos by:
Alexander Petrov.