Until forced settlement in the 1920s by Soviet Union authorities, Kazakhs were traditionally nomadic people, and, as such, left little in the way of monuments as testaments to their civilization.
Since independence from the USSR a little over twenty years ago, some Kazakhs have pointed to the ancient history of their culture by publicizing the existence of petroglyphs on Kazakhstan’s territory. One location, Tamgaly, has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Others Kazakhs say, “Why do we have to call attention to those? Everyone in the world has cave drawings. Emphasizing our cave art and not talking about what we have created since make us seem primitive.”
The wall art in these photos, by contrast, are contemporary and urban. I figure, what are cave drawings but ancient graffiti? There is no qualitative difference.
These photos were taken in the fall of 2012, while I was living in Almaty and researching Silk Road dumplings. Yum. Most of them were shot on the walk from my daughter’s preschool down the mountain to our home. A few non-wall art photos that provide context for the others snuck in. Feel free to comment. I’d love to know your thoughts.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
Shopping Cart
Your shopping cart is empty
Visit the shop
