Authorities in Kazakhstan ban mining activities near site with ancient petroglyphs

Authorities of the Zhetysu region of Kazakhstan have prohibited greenstone mining in the «oval stones» area of the Kyzyltas mountains to preserve the ancient petroglyphs. The enterprise developing the pit near the mountain dubbed «Tortoise» by the locals has been given another site.

Governor of the Zhetysu region Beibit Isabaev has commented on the situation around the unique site, explaining that deposit development had been ceased on legal grounds.

«There is a relevant court decision, meaning that we have mutually crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s in this issue. Now we’re working on including the ‘Tortoise’ mountain on the lists of cultural and historical heritage sites, first local then regional,» Isabaev explained.

According to the official, the team preserving the unique rock petroglyphs consisted of ecologists, public activists and authorized government bodies. On Oct. 3, they want to organize the environmental campaign Taza Kazakhstan (Clean Kazakhstan) in the Kyzyltas mountains.

The first Kazakhstani Petroglyph Park is set to be opened in Almaty, displaying the greatest specimens of the Turkic age rock art.   

As Kursiv.media reported earlier this week, Kazakhstan placed the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan under state protection, while the city itself is planned to be decorated in an oriental style.