Lost World: Tuva. Secrets of the ancient path What people lived in the Tuvan Valley of the Kings
(modern), called “sacred”. Mention of it occurs in the Koran in the context of the story of the prophet (Moses).
Background
On the way to Egypt, one cold night, Prophet Musa and his family got lost. Musa tried to light a fire with his flint, but nothing worked. At that moment, when the darkness thickened and the cold intensified, he, thinking that there was a fire burning on the right slope of the mountain, headed in this direction. Musa set off 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 blessings of Allah, a believer, 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 trustworthy: “ His shoes were made of donkey skin (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: Verily, I am your Lord. Take off your shoes. You are in the sacred valley of Tuva. I have chosen you, and therefore listen to what is revealed to you.. Here the prophet Musa received a command from the Lord to meet with the stubborn and despotic ruler, before whom none of the inhabitants of Egypt dared to argue: So the Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuva (Tova): “Go to Pharaoh, for he has transgressed the boundaries of what is permitted. [
On the highest steppe basin of Tuva, the Turano-Uyuk, surrounded by the peaks of the Uyuk and Kortushibinsky ranges, in the area of the villages of Arzhan and Tarlyk, one of the most beautiful natural and historical monuments of Southern Siberia is located. Locals They call it the “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 Scythian times. The chains probably reflect the blood relationship of the people buried in them.
The most famous mounds of the “Valley” are “Arzhan-1” and “Arzhan-2”. The first has a diameter of 120 m and consists of pure stone with a spring in the center and huge wooden structures inside. Along with the ancient leader, 16 more people and 160 horses were buried. Despite the fact that the grave was plundered in ancient times, archaeologists were able to discover many valuable finds - these are horse harness items, jewelry made of gold and silver, coins, luxurious woolen fabrics, remains of clothing made from sable skins and the famous bronze plaque in the form of a curled-up ring. panthers. Excavated in 1971-1974. The mound dates back to the 9th-8th centuries BC.
The Arzhan-2 mound, 2,700 years old, was discovered in 2001. This 80 meter wide grave belongs to a noble couple. The remains of people and horses buried with the leader were also discovered on the territory of the tomb. Gold jewelry, copper and amber items, iron weapons, military armor, dishes, etc. were found near the remains. Total weight The gold recovered from the tomb amounted to about 20 kilograms.
Obelisk Center of Asia
The obelisk "Center of Asia" is the most important landmark of the city of Kyzyl and a symbol of the Republic of Tyva, symbolizing the geographical center of the Asian part of the continent. The obelisk is located on the bank 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 there is a large ball with the contours of the continents applied. A ten-meter triangular spire rises into the sky from the globe. On the pedestal, in three languages (Russian, Tuvan and English), the words “Center of Asia” are written in gold.
The monument was built in 1964 to mark the 20th anniversary of the voluntary entry of Tuva People's Republic into the USSR. The authors of the project are artist V.F. Demin and architects V.I. Bazhin and V.P. Vetchinov.
Ush-Beldir
Ush-Beldir is considered one of the most beautiful corners of Tuva. Translated from Tuvan, the name means “merger of three.” Three merge here largest rivers Tuva - Shishigt-Gol, Busin-Gol and Belin, forming the lush Kyzyl-Khem. Thermal springs located in this place are famous for their healing properties
Information
photo from the site
I won’t hide it: we entered Tuva with some apprehension, as we did in Ingushetia and Chechnya in our time. But both in the Caucasus and here, nothing overshadowed our road trip. But still, reputation does not arise out of nowhere. 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 dawn of the Great Patriotic War, this was hardly the most noticeable event, but by this time the Tuvans had proven 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. Mainly when Russia demonstrated its weakness. Anti-Russian sentiments occurred in Civil War, when 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 those who remained. In particular, my classmate, who, after graduating from Irkutsk State University, received an assignment (there was such a concept before) to Kyzyl and successfully adapted there.
Before going to Tuva, I called him. Alas, at that time he was on vacation in Krasnodar region but the advice was great.
Firstly, he said that there is no need to fear anything if you behave appropriately to the situation.
Secondly, do not pretend to be a maskvich: do not enter into any disassembly; do not show anyone fakes; do not promise anyone sexual adventures; and we do not 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 traveled a little around the territory of the republic. Until that moment, I was sure that there was nothing more beautiful than Buryatia in Siberia. Is not a fact!
The road was absolutely wonderful, the views were amazing. The roadside trade was also pleasing. There were a lot of strawberries and inexpensive. This year it seems to be especially ugly. But for my taste, the Baikal one is still tastier.
After Krasnoyarsk Territory it became clear that he had entered a territory where the spirits of Tengri are revered, where Buddhists and shamanists are in favor. But we’re no strangers to leaving a coin or a piece of candy on the passes...
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, neither the kings nor the current Tuva were here. But there was a valley, and in it there was a life that was not yet fully understood, but filled with events. Here, as in Khakassia, the high culture, which is called Scythian, left behind hundreds of mounds, under which the local rulers rested. And some of them contain examples of incredible jewelry art.
We found ourselves at the most famous of the uncovered mounds, which has preserved all its riches to this day - this is Arzhan-2.
Here in 2001, a Russian-German expedition discovered the undisturbed burial of a local leader and his wife, whose remains were covered with a layer of gold. And not just any kind, but amazing jewelry. We will see them a little later in a special storage room of the museum, more like a safe or a crypt from which they were taken.
The Tuvan Valley of the Kings is known far beyond the borders of the republic. At its core, it is a huge accumulation of mounds that are ancient in origin. In other words, in a basin surrounded by a chain of mountains, the ancient graves of leaders of various tribes are concentrated. These burials were attributed to the Uyuk cultural period. The valley is located approximately seventy kilometers north-west of the capital of the republic - Kyzyl and is divided into two zones, the territories of which are called “Arzhan No. 1” and “Arzhan No. 2”.
Story
The famous Valley of the Kings, or, as it is also called the Royal Valley, is located in one of the most picturesque regions of the republic - Piy-Khemsky. It is surrounded by mountains and seems full historical secrets and treasures. The names of the burials reflect the name of the nearby settlement - Arzhan. Mounds are considered the oldest and large territory of all such zones of the Scythian period, and date back to 4-7 centuries BC. Based on this fact alone, one can imagine what archaeological value they have. And archaeologists do not miss the opportunity to carry out survey work on the territory of the mounds. Excavations are carried out almost all year round, with the possible exception of the winter season.
Peculiarities
“Arzhan-1” is considered the most explored of the two territories. Its in-depth study was carried out in the period from 2001-2003 with the help of the Russian-German society. It was then that it was precisely established that the burial places belonged to the royal dynasties. Luck smiled on the archaeologists, and an undisturbed crypt was found in one of the underground rooms. As it turned out, at least seventeen people and one hundred and sixty horses were buried here, which were customary to be buried with their owners. During the research, it was also revealed that the Tuvan mounds are more ancient than the Black Sea mounds. This fact gave scientists reason to believe that it was the burials of the Valley of the Kings that were the original ones, and from them the famous Scythian era began, which spread to more distant regions. After completion of the work, most of the objects found during the excavations became the property of the National Republican Museum, where they are kept today.
The Valley of the Kings was and remains the largest North Asian burial site, and its study has made a huge contribution to history. After all, those unique things that were found throughout the history of excavations allow us to judge a lot. Despite the fact that the mounds were partially plundered several hundred years ago, it is believed that many future sites still remain on their territory. museum exhibits. Many archaeologists from Tyva and other Russian regions are in search of these artifacts.
How to get there
The famous Tuvan landmark - the Valley of the Kings - is located in the Pii-Khem region of the Republic of Tyva, not far from settlement Arzhan.