Animal carvings
Ibex and bulls.
Relisa Granovskaya — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Relisa Granovskaya — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Relisa Granovskaya — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alpasli — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Relisa Granovskaya — CC BY-SA 4.0
Sarmishsay is a rocky gorge in the Karatau range in the Nurata District of Navoi Region, central Uzbekistan, about 29 km south of Nurata and 32 km northeast of the city of Navoi in a straight line. UNESCO describes it as the largest and most important rock-art site in Uzbekistan. The gorge holds archaeological remains going back to the Stone Age, and its two petroglyph sites together have about 10,000 ancient carvings. Scientists at Uzbekistan's Institute of Archaeology believe people lived here as early as the Old Stone Age. The carvings show many wild and domestic animals, among them ibex, bulls, horses and wolves, as well as hunting scenes, a sign the area was once rich hunting ground. The small Sarmish stream cut the gorge through the rock; trees and shrubs line it, and poppies bloom in spring. The carvings cover smooth, dark, almost black rock faces, so the pecked lines stand out pale. Figures cluster on the gorge walls and fallen boulders, some large and clear, others small and faint and worth searching for. Visitors usually drive in from Navoi or Nurata, or on a trip to Aydarkul Lake, then walk up the gorge on an unmade path. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; wear sturdy shoes, carry water and do not touch the carvings.
Ibex and bulls.
On dark rock.
Spring flowers.
Sarmish Gorge, Karatau range, Nurata District, Navoi Region, Uzbekistan
By car from Navoi or Nurata.
In spring or autumn.