Besshatyr Burial Mounds

Kazakhstan


Located in the western part of Altyn-Emel, near the Terekty Petroglyphs, this Iron Age site comprises 31 Scythian kurgans (ritual burial mounds), believed to be final resting places of tribal leaders and distinguished warriors. The largest is 17m high and while the kurgans have been excavated in the 1950s, with weaponry, bones and pottery spirited away to museums, the kurgans are still an impressive sight.


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In the western part of Altyn-Emel National Park, these clusters of petroglyphs depict ibex, Siberian deer (now extinct in these parts), curly-horned…

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A couple of hours' drive from the settlement of Basshi that's part of the Altyn-Emel National Park, this sand dune emits a rumbling sound not unlike an…

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