Saimaluu-Tash is a high mountain petroglyph field on the eastern slope of the Fergana Range, south of Kazarman. The stones hold tens of thousands of images from different periods: animals, people, signs, geometric figures and ritual scenes attributed to periods from the Bronze Age to the early medieval era. The Kyrgyz name is usually translated as "patterned stone". This is not a roadside museum but a remote mountain approach. Access starts from the Kazarman-Baetov road west of Kazarman, but vehicles do not reach the petroglyph field itself: the final approach is a long climb on foot or horseback. Snow covers the stones for most of the year, so the practical viewing window is short, mainly July and August. Plan it as an expedition with an overnight or a serious time buffer, not a quick photo stop. There is no infrastructure at the site, stream water should be boiled, and weather above 3,000 m can turn sharply even in summer.
Saimaluu-Tash
Саймалуу-Таш
A high mountain field of tens of thousands of petroglyphs above Kazarman, reached only on foot or horseback in a short summer window.
- photo spot
- tent camping ok
- Region
- Jalal-Abad Region
- Type
- Historical site
- When to go
- summer
- How long
- 3–5 days
- Road
- off-road
- 4×4
- required
- Guide
- depends on the route
- Permit
- not required
- Mobile signal
- no signal — Mobile signal may be absent at the petroglyph field; save route, tracks and contacts offline in advance.
- Coordinates
- 41.185, 74.058
Show on the map → Directions: 2GIS · Yandex Maps · Google Maps · OpenStreetMap
Safety
The main risk is remoteness: vehicles do not reach the petroglyphs, there is no infrastructure and the climb takes many hours. Go only in settled weather, with offline navigation, warm layers, food and water buffer, and arrange a guide or horses in Kazarman before setting out. Snow covers the stones for much of the year; outside July-August the trip can quickly become a pointless and risky mountain approach.
Fees & prices
Current entry fees, guide rates, horse rental and local transport prices were not confirmed in open sources. Carry cash and confirm terms in Kazarman before departure. Checked: July 2026.
What to bring
Cash, offline maps or track, warm and rain layers, water and food buffer, power bank, first-aid kit, hiking shoes and a filter or stove for boiling water.
Facilities
- camping
Nearby
- Naryn — A mountain regional capital on the Naryn River, used as a base for Tash-Rabat, At-Bashy, Kel-Suu and Inner Tian Shan routes.
- Son-Kul Lake — A high alpine lake and summer jailoo in Naryn Region, with yurt camps, horses, open pasture and access over seasonal mountain passes.
- Arslanbob — A village by the famous walnut forest with homestays, waterfalls and seasonal walnut harvest.
Sources
- Saimaluu-Tash Petroglyphs — CBT Kyrgyzstan — National park context, altitude above 3000 m, large petroglyph collection and July-August viewing window.
- Saimaluu-Tash, petroglyph — Kyrgyzstan Tourism — Access via Kazarman/Baetov road, no car access to the field itself, horseback or long foot approach, Kazarman guesthouses.
- Саймалуу-Таш — Trip to Kyrgyzstan — Altitude range 2800-3400 m, summer-only road/access window and broad historical dating of the carvings.
- Saimaluu Tash — VisitSilkRoad — Four-hour hike or horseback access, road context from Naryn/Jalal-Abad and national park background.
Verified: July 13, 2026 (AI, from open sources).