# Sarmish Gorge: 10,000 years of rock art

> In a canyon 30 km northeast of Navoi, one of the largest rock-art complexes in Central Asia — over 4,000 carvings spanning 10,000 years.

Sarmish Gorge cuts into the Karatau range of the Nurata mountains, dropping about 200 m below the surrounding plateau. Its dark schist rock faces preserve carvings and paintings by every culture that passed through Uzbekistan since the Neolithic.

Documented images (over 4,000 individual figures):
- **Neolithic (7000 BCE)** — mountain goats, ibex, hunters with bows.
- **Bronze Age (2000–1000 BCE)** — chariots, oxen with humps, sun symbols.
- **Scythian (500 BCE)** — mounted warriors, animal-style predator scenes.
- **Turkic (7th–9th c. CE)** — runic script, mounted archers, camels.
- **Islamic period** — Arabic inscriptions and later graffiti.

A short walking trail (~2 km one way) leads to the highest concentration of images. Bring water and sun protection; there is no shade in the gorge except at the far end.

About 30 km northeast of Navoi city, or 90 minutes from Bukhara. Best combined with a Nurata / Aydarkul trip. Local archaeologists recommend a guide (available in Navoi) since many carvings are subtle and easy to miss.

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Keywords: Sarmish, petroglyphs, rock art, Nurata, prehistoric
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: destinations
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-nurata-sarmish-petroglyphs