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Sarmishsay

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Uzbekistan (Asia and the Pacific)
Date of Submission: 18/01/2008
Criteria: (vi)(ix)
Category: Mixed
Submitted by: National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO
State, Province or Region: Navoi Region
Coordinates: N40 17 E65 35
Ref.: 5307

Description

The territory of "Sarmishsay" is one of the largest and most investigated monuments of rock arts in Uzbekistan. Now, about 4000 separate images are registered here, many of which are collected in the composition and scenes. The majority of the petroglyphs can be denoted to Bronze Age (3000-900 years B.C.). Nevertheless, also among them there are motives dated eneolith (4000-3000 B.C.), neolith (6000-4000 B.C.) and even late mesolite (15000-6000 B.C.), and significant amount of Sako-Scythian period (9000-100 B.C.) and Middle Ages (400-1500 B.C.).

About 650 species of plants can be identified in the region, 27 from which are precinctive species. Typical representatives of deserts and low mountains present the fauna. There are also the species that inscribed in the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan, such as Central Asian cobra, black vulture, Severtsev sheep.

For the protection of this territory are organized the measurements of the formation of natural park of the regional level with 5000 hectares.

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value

Satements of authenticity and/or integrity

The territory intended for the protection, includes whole valley with petroglyphs and adjoining hillsides, and forms the uniform contour providing preservation of cultural values and biodiversity.

Comparison with other similar properties

Sarmishsay is the largest and important object of the rock painting in Uzbekistan; it stays in the same level with tracts of Tamgaly (Kazakhstan) and Saymali Tash (Kyrgyzstan) in Central Asia region. This fact makes Sarmishasay as a site of the special importance in Uzbekistan, Central Asia and all over the world.