Destination
Balbal stones
Carved stone faces that once watched over the graves of honoured nomads.
Balbals are solid carved stones showing a human face. They were placed on graves between roughly the 6th and the 19th centuries, mostly across the Chuy valley, and depict the main features of the person buried there. The idea was that the look of a respected person should stay in the minds of the next seven generations.
They also had a practical role: nomads moved with the seasons, and a carved face made it easy to find a relative’s grave on returning to a valley. Balbals always face east, toward the rising sun — a reminder of the shamanist beliefs in which the sun gave light and life to the earth.
The best collection is the open-air field beside Burana Tower; more stand at Cholpon-Ata on Issyk-Kul.
Tours
Tours visiting Balbal stones
Burana Tower & Chuy Valley Day Tour
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