Sarmysh Petroglyphs
Sarmysh Petroglyphs
Central Asia and Uzbekistan are home to numerous petroglyph sites, where ancient people left markings that likely represent prayers for a successful hunt, a prosperous marriage, or simply reflections of their daily lives. The Sarmysh petroglyphs (also known as Sarmyshsay) stand out as one of the most famous sites due to the sheer abundance and richness of the rock drawings found there. Sarmyshai petroglyphs can be also added to several of our Uzbekistan tours.
The destination is located in the Samish Gorge, nearby the Karatau Mountain Range about 35 km northeast of Navoi and southwest from the Aydarkul lake. There are actually two petroglyph sites that date back as far as the Stone Age with a total of 10 000 ancient rock carvings. According to UNESCO, it is the largest and most important rock art monument in Uzbekistan and therefore it is in the list of tentative Unesco world heritage sites.
According to the archaeologists of the Archaeological Institute under the Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the petroglyphs could be from the Paleolithic (old stone age), stone age or bronze age eras (300-15 000 years BC). In the Neolithic period (6th – 5th centuries BC) tribes of hunters and fishers of Keltaminar culture settled here and formed tribes in the area of Sarmyshsay. Apart from the usual figures of the hunters, horses and deer, there are also dancers, creepy camels with three humps and men with two heads. The number of petroglyphs and their variety are truly remarkable.
Highlights of Sarmishay petroglyphs
Walk slowly and keep your eyes moving up and down the canyon walls as many of the images are located high at the canyon walls. The images mainly consist of naturalistic animal carvings with aurochs and large wild herbivores among the oldest. There are also hunting scenes with riders or hunters with bows, spears and hounds chasing stock or predators.
Some images describe human groups and dancing figures with some stylized processions or ritual gestures that hint at ceremonials. Some of the later inscriptions, including Arabic script and Sufi marks, document the valley’s continued religious and social importance into the historical era.
Visit Sarmysh petroglyphs
One should plan at least 1.5–3 hours on site but if you enjoy reading panels slowly you can easily spend a half-day especially if you wish to explore more of the gorge and lesser-visited rock groups. For a deeper walk and photography, a full day gives breathing room.
There is a main entrance with some basic services and recently improved visitor paths but don’t expect a large museum complex. Hiring a local guide will add context if you’re keen on archaeology or iconography.
Sights near Sarmysh Petroglyphs
Page updated 11.10.2025