Besshatyr Burial Mounds

Located in the western part of Altyn-Emel, near the Terekty Petroglyphs, this Iron Age site comprises 31 Scythian kurgans (ritual burial mounds), believed to be final resting places of tribal leaders and distinguished warriors. The largest is 17m high and while the kurgans have been excavated in the 1950s, with weaponry, bones and pottery spirited away to museums, the kurgans are still an impressive sight.