Mountains of God

Tian Shan (Chinese: Tian Shan, English: Tian Shan Mountains) is one of the largest mountain ranges in Central Asia. These mountains extend across the territories of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Turkish name “Tian Shan,” meaning “Mountains of Heaven,” is associated with the historical significance and sacredness attributed to this region by its inhabitants throughout history.

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The extension of the Tian Shan in Kazakhstan is known as the Trans-Ili Alatau. The highest point in this section is Talgar Peak, at 4979 metres. A cable car system provides access up to 3200 metres from the city of Almaty. The region serves as a tourist destination during summer months and as a skiing area during winter. Cable car systems, ski slopes and chairlift infrastructure are in place.

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The Tian Shan is recognized in Turkish historiography as one of the earliest settlement areas of Turkic peoples. It is widely considered that the emergence of the Turks on the historical stage is closely linked to this region. Ancient Chinese sources contain various records indicating that the Turks lived in the Altai-Tian Shan region, led a nomadic lifestyle and left cultural traces. ^【1】 

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The Tian Shan is also a region with a high concentration of early stone monuments such as balbals and grave stelae. These monuments are believed to carry symbols related to Turkic belief systems, ancestral reverence and social structures. Chinese sources also reference these traditions. For example, the Zhou Shu records that the Turks erected grave markers for their dead. ^【2】 

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Today, the Tian Shan, particularly within the areas of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, remains a region where traditional ways of life persist. A significant portion of the rural population continues to rely on animal husbandry and lives in yurt-type dwellings in some areas.

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The natural environment surrounding the Tian Shan has largely retained its unspoiled structure. Some grave monuments in the region are observed to be more imposing than the settlements themselves, a reflection of the high value placed on ancestral veneration.