Valley of the Kings in Tuva
Not far from the villages of Arzhan and Tarlyk of the Piy-Khem kozhuun of the Republic of Tuva, in the Turano-Uyuk depression surrounded by mountains, there are a large number of chains of large mounds, which are the graves of clan and tribal leaders of Scythian times. The chains probably reflect the kinship of the people buried in them. Scientists attribute the burials to the Uyuk culture of Tuva.
Due to the large number and size of ancient burial mounds locals call this place "Valley of the Kings". The Tuvan Valley of the Kings, like its Egyptian "namesake", is full of historical secrets and treasures. After all, barely starting the excavation of ancient burial mounds, archaeologists made amazing finds: golden armor, unique structures and unusual burials - not the whole list of discoveries.
The largest and most famous mounds "Valley of the Kings" - "Arzhan-1" and "Arzhan-2".
Located 70 kilometers northwest of Kyzyl and 26 kilometers from Turan, the Arzhan-1 mound got its name from the village of the same name, Arzhan, located nearby. This is perhaps the largest known in northern Asia royal burial of the Scythian period, dating back to the 9th-7th centuries BC The diameter of the mound was 120 meters and a height of 4 meters. The excavation of the mound was carried out by an expedition led by M.P. Gryaznov in 1971-1974. A complex wooden structure with a log ceiling was discovered under the earthen embankment, consisting of a central frame and another 70 log cabins located around it. Their construction took about 5,000 massive larch logs. The burial of the "king and queen" was found in the central blockhouse; in total, 16 people and more than 160 horses were buried in the mound. All these people were buried with due honors in individual decks and special log cabins. Despite the fact that the mound was plundered in antiquity, many graves have preserved unique things that have all the signs of the still emerging Scythian "animal style". Discovered items of gold and silver are indisputable proof of the noble origin of the buried.
Kurgan "Arzhan-2" is included in the same "chain" of four visually similar embankments as "Arzhan-1", and is located in close proximity to it. It was investigated in 2001-2003 by a Russian-German expedition. The mound has truly impressive dimensions: 80 meters in diameter and up to 2 meters in height. The enormous size of the kurgan made it possible to assume the presence of "royal" burials in theirs. The result exceeded all expectations. This, indeed, was the burial place of a Scythian leader of the second half of the 7th century BC. The mound was also once plundered, and the central stonework was disturbed. Fortunately, in one of the rooms of the mound there was an undisturbed burial of, presumably, the ruler of the tribe and his wife. And in the adjacent room, household items, weapons and gold jewelry were found. The total weight of the gold recovered from the tomb was about 30 kilograms. As in the "Arzhan-1" mound, 17 people and about 160 horses were buried here. Some of them were killed by hammering a wooden stamp into the head. By the way, a woman dressed as a queen was killed in this way.
The value of the discoveries in the burial mounds "Arzhan-1" and "Arzhan-2" lies primarily in the fact that for the first time the undisturbed burial complex of the highest social stratum of the ancient steppe nomads became the property of science. In addition, it turned out that the mounds of the Tuvan Valley of the Kings are much older than the Black Sea Scythian mounds. This gave scientists reason to believe that it was from here that the era of the Scythians began, and only then it spread to the Black Sea region.
(modern), named in the "sacred". She is mentioned in the Qur'an in the context of the story of the prophet (Moses).
Background
On the way to Egypt, one of the cold nights, the prophet Musa and his family got lost. Musa tried to light the fire with his flint, but he failed. At that moment, when the darkness thickened, and the cold intensified, he thought that, on the right slope of the mountain, a fire was burning, he headed in this direction. Musa set out with the intention of bringing a brand of fire and finding people who would tell him the right path. He approached the fire, which he saw from afar, and it turned out that in reality it was not fire, but light.
Prophet Musa in the Tuva Valley
In the Tuva valley, the Lord called Musa in a quiet voice. He told Musa that he was the Lord and ordered him to take off his sandals as a sign of respect for this blessed place.
According to some sources, Musa was ordered to take off his shoes, because in order to receive the blessing of Allah, the faithful, as a sign of the lowest submission, must touch the sacred ground only with bare feet. Other sources cite as an argument the following statement of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which they characterize as credible: “ His shoes were made from donkey hide (that is, they were not clean)» .
In the Tuva Valley, Musa learned that the Lord had chosen him as a messenger who should follow what was suggested to him: Indeed, I am your Lord. Take off your shoes. You are in sacred valley Tuva. I have chosen you, and therefore listen to what is suggested to you in revelation. ... Here the prophet Musa received a command from the Lord to meet with a stubborn and despotic ruler, before whom none of the inhabitants of Egypt dared to argue: So his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuva (Tova): “Go to Pharaoh, for he has overstepped the boundaries of what is permitted. [
I will not hide: we entered Tuva with some apprehension, as we did in Ingushetia and Chechnya. But both in the Caucasus and here, nothing darkened our autotravel. But still, the reputation does not arise from scratch. The unfavorable background, or, as they would say now, the background is laid down historically.
Tuva, as you know, became part of the USSR in 1944. And not even as a republic, but as an autonomous region. In the glow of the Great Patriotic War, this was hardly the most noticeable event, but by this time the Tuvans had proved that they were the most loyal allies: they were the first to support the USSR from the first days of aggression, declaring war on Germany. Further - more: they transferred all their gold reserves to the Union, began to form volunteer units that fought on the Soviet fronts, and also sent almost all internal resources to help us. And it was worth a lot.
But there were other periods as well. Mostly when Russia showed its weakness. Anti-Russian sentiments fell on Civil warwhen Tuva came under the rule of the Kolchakites, as well as in the 90s (the period of the collapse of the USSR). Many Russian-speakers then left the republic, but there were also those who remained. In particular, my classmate, who, after graduating from Irkutsk State University, received a distribution (there used to be such a concept) in Kyzyl and successfully adapted there.
Before going to Tuva, I called him. Alas, at this time he was on vacation in Krasnodar Territory, but helped a lot with advice.
First, he said that there is nothing to be afraid of if you behave appropriately to the situation.
Secondly, do not pretend to be a maskwitch: do not engage in any showdown; do not show fakies to anyone; not promise anyone sexual adventures; and we don't teach anyone how to live ...
Thirdly, it is best to stay in the capital in a hotel opposite the local FSB office.
But before getting to the capital of Tuva, we drove a little through the territory of the republic. Until that moment, I was sure that there is nothing more beautiful in Siberia than Buryatia. Is not a fact!
The road was just wonderful, the views are amazing. Roadside trade is also pleasing. There were plenty of strawberries and inexpensive. This year seems to be especially ugly. But for my taste, Baikal is nevertheless tastier.
After the Krasnoyarsk Territory, it became clear that he entered the territory where the Tengri spirits are worshiped, where Buddhists and shamanists are in favor. But we are no strangers: they left on the passes where the coin, where the candy ...
Before reaching the capital, we turned onto a country road indicating the way to the valley of the kings of Tuva. Of course, in those ancient times there were no kings or present-day Tuva here. But there was a valley and a life that was not yet fully understood, but filled with events, took place in it. Here, as in Khakassia, the high culture, which is called Scythian, left behind hundreds of burial mounds, under which the local rulers rested. And some of them have preserved examples of incredible jewelry art.
We ended up at the most famous of the excavated mounds, which has preserved all its riches to our times - this is Arzhan-2.
Here in 2001, a Russian-German expedition found the undisturbed burial of the local leader and his wife, whose remains were covered with a layer of gold. And not just anyhow, but amazing jewelry. We will see them a little later in a special depository of the museum, which looks more like a safe or a crypt from which they were taken.
On the highest steppe basin of Tuva, Turano-Uyuk, surrounded by the peaks of the Uyuk and Kortushibinsky ranges, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe villages of Arzhan and Tarlyk, there is one of the most beautiful natural and historical monuments of Southern Siberia. Locals call it "Valley of the Kings". A large number of large chains of mounds are concentrated here, which are the graves of clan and tribal leaders of the Scythian times. The chains, however, probably reflect the kinship of the people buried in them.
The most famous kurgans of the Valley are Arzhan-1 and Arzhan-2. The first one has a diameter of 120 m and consists of pure stone with a spring in the center and huge wooden structures inside. Together with the ancient leader, another 16 people and 160 horses were buried. Despite the fact that the grave was plundered in antiquity, archaeologists managed to find many valuable finds - horse harness items, jewelry made of gold and silver, coins, luxurious woolen fabrics, remnants of sable skins and the famous bronze plaque in the form of a curled ring panthers. Excavated in 1971-1974 the mound dates back to the 9th-8th centuries BC.
The mound "Arzhan-2", which is 2700 years old, was discovered in 2001. This tomb, 80 meters wide, belongs to a noble married couple. The remains of people and horses buried with the leader were also found on the territory of the tomb. Jewelry made of gold, copper and amber items, iron weapons, military armor, dishes, etc. were found next to the remains. The total weight of the gold recovered from the tomb was about 20 kilograms.
Obelisk Center of Asia
The obelisk "Center of Asia" is the main attraction of Kyzyl and the symbol of the Tuva Republic, symbolizing the geographical center of the Asian part of the continent. The obelisk is located on the banks of the Yenisei River (Ulug-Khem river), where Komsomolskaya Street approaches the embankment.
In its current form, the obelisk is a two-meter marble base on which a large ball with the contours of the continents is located. A ten-meter triangular spire rises from the globe into the sky. The words "Center of Asia" are written in gold on the pedestal in three languages \u200b\u200b(Russian, Tuvan and English).
The monument was erected in 1964 for the 20th anniversary of the voluntary entry of the Tuva People's Republic into the USSR. The authors of the project are the artist V.F. Demin and architects V.I. Bazhin and V.P. Ham.
Ush-Beldir
Ush-Beldir is considered one of the most beautiful corners of Tuva. Translated from Tuvan, the name means "merger of three". Here the three largest rivers of Tuva - Shishigt-Gol, Busin-Gol and Belin merge, forming the exuberant Kyzyl-Khem. Thermal springslocated in this place are famous for their healing properties
Information
photo from the site
Tuva is a small republic in the Sayan Mountains.
The Yenisei originates in Tuva. The geographical center of Asia is located in Tuva. But ... The song about “planes don't fly there today and even trains don't go there” is about Tuva. Nearest operating airport - in Abakan, and the nearest train is in the project.
However, it is worth visiting Tuva. And that's why…
Tuva is a land of geography, a lost world. You can only get here by bus. And here we go! The road is mountainous, winding - ascent and descent, passes. However, the beauty outside the window is such that time is not a pity!
Right now the Sleeping Sayan will be seen ... - explains the girl who already knows these places. - Look! Here it is.
I don't see anything yet, except for gray rocks of the usual form - mountains and mountains.
Why, this is the head, these are the hands!
I peer, and for sure - here is a head with an aquiline nose and closed eyes, and here are my hands folded on my chest!
Mountains, cliffs, hollows and ridges form the figure of a hero sleeping on a high hill. The uniqueness of the Sleeping Sayan is that a person is guessed in him not from any one point, but from different ones. Materialists believe that this time weathered the stones so. But a lot of people agree with the legend about the hero, who was left here to guard untold treasures.
The Sleeping Sayan is best seen from observation deck near Polka is a covered tunnel above the road, which protects it from the frequent avalanches here. The regiment itself is an attraction, but here everyone is busy with the Sayan.
At his feet is the Hanging Stone, a mass of many tons, which one cannot understand what it holds on the edge of the abyss. Perhaps this is one of those "stone toys" that the gods played with, according to legend, it was in this place that they descended to earth. They say it looks like it is about to fall, but when some citizens try (and there are some, as you understand) to push the lump, it is not given. How many years this stone has been lying like this, and how much more will it lie - God knows. We cannot see the stone from our distance, so this is another time ...
Along the road in July, locals sell strawberries, which are immediately collected in the meadows. Prices are affordable.
Ergaki
it natural Park... Mountains and lakes. Peaks and ridges. Local sights have received names in modern times, hence the names Parabola, Molodezhny, Dragon's Tooth, etc. It takes, as experts say, a week to see all the sights. You can get a job at the base, which is called Ergaki. Wooden houses. Since the rocky area cannot be leveled, plank walkways were laid throughout the territory. The air is such that you can sell in glasses. It is picturesque to the point that artistic natures get drunk without alcohol, from some landscapes. Near the base is a lake reputed to be dead. However, the most persistent go there to fish. And even more heroic personalities, they say, even bathe. Although the temperature is not much above zero.
Kyzyl
Kyzyl is a small town. It is very cozy in summer, and I don’t know what it is like in winter. Locals say that frosts can be up to minus fifty, and people try not to go outside in winter without needing to go outside. Therefore, in the near future it is planned to build a sports palace - then it will be possible to hold mass events without risk to health.
Kyzyl is a city of children. On the streets - children, children, children ... The head of the Republic of Kara-ool said that youth and children make up half of the population of the republic. This in itself is encouraging.
From the city you can see a mountain with letters laid out on the slope. These are the first words of the most important Buddhist mantra "Om mane padme him", laid out so that they can be seen both from the ground and from the sky. In Kyzyl itself, in the center, on the square in front of the government building and the republican theater, there is a drum with a prayer. By tradition, the drum must be turned three times - then your wish will come true. We twirl, the bell fortified at the top is ringing - our request has been taken into account ...
The Yenisei flows through the city - it is, in fact, here, at the confluence of the Big and Small Yenisei, and begins, thus becoming the Yenisei, which in almost three and a half thousand kilometers will flow into the Arctic Ocean.
So romantics can throw a message in a bottle. I jump over the rocks further from the shore. In clear water I suddenly see a small fish. I have not seen fry in the water since childhood - since the trees were large and the rivers were clean. In Tuva, everything remained as in childhood ...
Chief shaman
Tuva is a unique civilization. It is impossible to say that people live here the same way as they did hundreds of years ago - they live, of course, not like everyone else in the 21st century - they drive cars, go to cafes, eat sushi. But in some ways Tuvans are children of eternity. In the morning, a queue lined up to a small green house - people came for advice to Mognush Barakhovich Kenin-Lopsan, who, on the one hand, is a shaman and a seer, on the other, a full member of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Our horses have been stolen ... - says to us from a woman standing in line to the shaman. - I want to ask if they can be found, where to look approximately.
The woman is well dressed, with a cell phone in her hands. And it is clear that going to a shaman with such problems is a common thing for her ...
Our turn comes, we enter Kenin-Lopsan. He sits at the table. Around books, books, books. On the table, under Kenin-Lopsan's hands, there are pebbles. We already know that he guesses on them. We were told that fortune-telling stones are taken from the goiter of a capercaillie. But these Kenin-Lapsana were brought from Greece.
The silence is such that you can hear the ticking clock. He is 89 years old. Whether he sees us, we do not know - he has cataracts in front of him. Kenin-Lopsan's voice is quiet, with a slight accent, but he builds phrases correctly and does not make mistakes in the endings.
I am the son of a storyteller, hunter, nomad. When I was little, we had a nomadic life. Mom, dad, brothers, sisters - our family was huge, eleven people.
I graduated from the Oriental Faculty of the Leningrad University. I am an orientalist. My teacher was Stein, Professor Viktor Maksimovich Stein, he was a translator of the Russian embassy in Beijing, spoke Chinese, Korean, Japanese. And somehow he knew our shamanic antiquity. Yes ... There was a story ...
Tuva is a land of shamans. Tuvans respect representatives of Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism very much, but they turn to shamans. For Tuvans, shamans are the most respected people. They heal. They are guarding. Until 1990, Tuva was isolated from the outside world. Therefore, shamanism was preserved here by a miracle. Our shamans were behind bars, some returned, others died. Class struggle, communist ideology ... I had a shamanic grandmother. She was behind bars three times under the Soviet regime. The last time I sat near Minusinsk. This is a sad story for us. She's back. Once I was sitting, a young energetic Russian man came in. He greeted and said: "I'm with your grandmother." And leads her. It turns out that he had a daughter, she was ill, they treated her in Leningrad and Moscow, but it did not help. And my grandmother cured me. And as a token of gratitude, he brought his grandmother to us. Somehow I helped to be released early. My grandmother lived near Mongolia, she did not get there - she died.
I am the son of a storyteller, my memory has been working since childhood - what a person said, I always remember forever. I work from 7 am to 2 pm. I don't work after two. I am the son of a nomad, a hunter - they are matinees. For me, happiness is bread, work, health, children, people who respect me, who protect me. That's all…
Lake Tore-Khol. How can I tell you what it is? Transparent water glows in the sun.
Under your feet, small, smaller than match heads, pebbles that scrape your heels.
Large birds are landing on the water nearby. You are a city man, you do not know their names. They are not afraid of you - there is a reserve here. Birds have their own business - they look out for fish in the water. Nature lives its own life, allowing people to admire themselves from the shore.
One side of the lake is Tuvan, the other is Mongolian. So the bird, chasing fish in Tuva, catches up with it in Mongolia. But the bird doesn't care. But a person, to get here, will need a pass to the border zone. And that's good - some sort of selection.
Around - semi-desert, sand and bushes. And here the lake is like an emerald lost by someone. Kara-Khol is a memory of the ice age. Once upon a time, these places were covered with a multi-meter shell of snow and ice. Then the earth pulled back, but water remained in this basin. You lie on, peer into small pebbles and see in them small - millimeters in diameter - shells. When did snails live in them - yesterday or millions of years ago? ..
Valley of the Kings
On planet Earth, there are less than a dozen of those places where long-lost peoples buried their kings. The most famous place - Egypt, pyramids of Giza. But the Tuvan Valley of the Kings is perhaps the most mysterious.
Here the Scythians buried their leaders - people who inhabited Asia and part of present-day European Russia in times that were antiquity for the "father of history" Herodotus. Looking down on the past, we consider ancient civilizations to be primitive, wild or semi-wild. Meanwhile, there were so many treasures in the Scythian burial mounds that in the 17th-18th centuries in Russia, "Siberian burial gold" was counted on a centner. And that's just what, for various reasons, got into legal circulation. It turns out that the Scythians from somewhere had tons of gold. What kind of people were they? What kind of world was it?
The Scythian gold found in Tuva in the Arzhaan-2 burial ground is now kept in a special hall of the republican museum. Pectoral, akinak, one and a half kilogram golden hryvnia, a golden ladle, about which they say that the same ladle was described by Herodotus, a golden "cloth" from which the golden (!) Pants (!) Of the king were sewn! Two and a half thousand golden cats, each the size of peanuts, adorned the king's clothes. The royal sword (akinak), on the handle of which tigers tear a ram. Where could the Scythians see tigers - after all, not on TV? Or are they leopards still living in some regions of Tuva? The queen's gold earring is adorned with gold grain of such delicate work that today's masters do not undertake to repeat it. These findings raise more questions than they answer ...
By the way, the international archaeological expedition "Kyzyl-Kuragino", which includes many volunteers, has been working in the Tuvan Valley of the Kings for several seasons. So if you want to take part in the treasure hunt, go there! Just remember - you have to hand over the gold. But the real treasures are memories! - will stay with you !!
How to get there? By plane, train or car to Abakan. Then - along the M-54 highway to Kyzyl. Further - wherever your heart desires.
National cuisine is the most diverse. Local tea - with milk, salty. The national drink is kumis (horse and camel milk). For an amateur, but for exoticism you can try, there is no particular risk.
People are hospitable, benevolent.
