10,000 Carvings in Stone: Sarmishsay, the Silk Road's Oldest Gallery

Run your hand along the dark rock and you feel it before you see it: the shallow grooves of a mountain goat, horns curled back, carved by someone who stood in this exact gorge thousands of years before the first caravan crossed Central Asia. Look up, and the cliff is full of them — hunters with bows, bulls, wild horses, strange sun-like circles — an entire gallery of stone, and on most days you will share it with nobody but the wind.

This is Sarmishsay, the largest rock-art site in Uzbekistan, hidden on the southern slopes of the Karatau ridge about 45 km north-east of the city of Navoi. It sits almost exactly between Bukhara and Samarkand — the two most famous names on the Silk Road — yet most travellers race past it on the train without knowing it exists.

A Stone Age gallery on the Silk Road

Across a gorge of roughly 20 square kilometres, researchers have recorded thousands of petroglyphs — by most counts more than 10,000 images. The oldest are believed to reach back many millennia; the majority belong to the Bronze Age, and the most recent were added in the Middle Ages. Together they form a visual diary of the people who hunted, herded and worshipped here long before Timur built his blue domes.

You will find wild bulls and deer, archers and hunting scenes, camels, horsemen and geometric symbols whose meaning scholars still debate. Sarmishsay is on Uzbekistan's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, and walking through it feels like reading the prologue to the Silk Road story you came to see.

Uzbekistan study tour for curious travellers: why German-speaking guests love it

German-speaking travellers have always gone deeper than the postcard. It is no surprise that arrivals from Germany rose by around 25% in the first eight months of 2026, according to official figures reported by Euronews. Culture-focused guests from Germany, Austria and Switzerland want context, archaeology and a proper walk — and Sarmishsay delivers all three.

The visit is a real hike, not a photo stop: you follow the stream bed up the gorge, scramble a little between boulders, and look for carvings on the dark-varnished rock faces. Good shoes, water and a knowledgeable guide make all the difference, because the best panels are easy to miss without one.

How to fit Sarmishsay into your Silk Road round trip

Getting here has never been simpler. Uzbekistan Airways flies nonstop from Frankfurt and Munich to Tashkent in a little over six hours, and citizens of Germany, Austria and Switzerland enter Uzbekistan visa-free. From Tashkent, the Afrosiyob high-speed train connects Samarkand, Navoi and Bukhara, so the gorge slips neatly into a classic route:

• Day in Samarkand: Registan, Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda.
• Transfer day: by road towards Bukhara with a half-day hike at Sarmishsay en route.
• Arrive in Bukhara: sunset at the Poi-Kalon ensemble and dinner in the old town.

October and early November are ideal: warm, clear days, cool evenings and golden light on the rock. Spring (April–May) is lovely too, when the gorge turns green and the wild tulips bloom.

Travel with a local team that has been here since 2007

GoUzbekistan is the travel brand of Lochin Express Plyus LLC, a licensed Uzbek tour operator (licence No. 662280) that has been organising journeys in Uzbekistan since 2007. Our team is based in Bukhara — the natural gateway to Sarmishsay — so we can arrange the vehicle, an experienced guide, picnic lunch and the right timing for the best light on the carvings.

Whether you want a classic Silk Road round trip with a touch of archaeology, or a dedicated culture and hiking itinerary, we tailor every day to your pace.

Ready to see the Silk Road's oldest pictures? Create your own custom tour or explore our tours — and let us add Sarmishsay to your journey.

Plan your Uzbekistan trip — in your language

العربية

اكتشف السياحة في أوزبكستان بعيدًا عن الزحام: آلاف النقوش الصخرية القديمة في وادي سارميشساي بين سمرقند وبخارى على طريق الحرير. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة مع فريقنا المحلي.

Deutsch

Ihre Usbekistan Reise mit Tiefgang: Auf einer Seidenstraße Rundreise zwischen Samarkand und Buchara wandern Sie durch die Schlucht Sarmishsay mit Tausenden Felszeichnungen. Jetzt individuelle Reise planen.

Español

Viajes a Uzbekistán para curiosos: entre Samarcanda y Bujará, la garganta de Sarmishsay guarda miles de petroglifos de la Ruta de la Seda. Diseña tu viaje a medida.

Français

Un voyage en Ouzbékistan hors des sentiers battus : entre Samarcande et Boukhara, la gorge de Sarmishsay abrite des milliers de pétroglyphes sur la Route de la Soie. Créez votre voyage sur mesure.

中文

乌兹别克斯坦旅游新发现：在撒马尔罕与布哈拉之间的萨尔米什赛峡谷，数千幅古老岩画静静诉说丝绸之路的故事。定制您的专属行程。

Русский

Туры в Узбекистан для тех, кто хочет глубже: между Самаркандом и Бухарой, в ущелье Сармышсай, — тысячи древних петроглифов на Шёлковом пути. Составьте свой тур.