One of the most
remarkable sites to see that remind us that humans have come a long way is the
Ughtasar Petroglyphs. Located on
Ughtasar Mountain just about 35 kilometers from the town of Sisian in the
Syunik Province of Armenia, these reminders of our past lay here undisturbed
since the Paleolithic Era. Ughtasar is
derived from the Armenian words “ught” meaning camel and “sar” meaning
mountain. The mountain’s peak is a
resemblance to the hump from a camel.
I had the great
opportunity to visit this area in the peak of summer since it’s only accessible
for a limited amount of time throughout the year. The elevation, terrain, and snow make it
quite difficult to visit. I was able to
hire a guide through Goris Tours and get a driver who had 4x4 capability. To get to the petroglyphs you must take main
highway and turn into Ishkhansar village and the only dirt road there will take
you. The road is steep at times but the
road is scenic and relaxing when you’re not bouncing around and I even got to
see some eagles from a reasonable distance.
The way to the petroglyphs is challenging but it’s also great for
backpackers looking for serenity away from the hustle and bustle of city life. If I had the time I’d love to spend 4 or 5
days camping here.
A small group of
my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers decided to make the trip and to our surprise
an international group of geologists were also camped at the main petroglyph
site to conduct research. The petroglyphs
are found everywhere there is a concentration of rocks but the largest can be
found next to Ughtasar Lake. There are
over 2,000 decorated rock fragments that extend to the foot of the
mountain. The petroglyphs date back to
the Paleolithic Era (12,000 B.C.E.).
Most of the rocks are very dark brown in color and are remnants of an
ancient and extinct volcano. I don’t
recommend swimming in the nearby lake because it’s ice cold.
The petroglyphs
were discovered in the early 20th century and research began on them
until the late 1960s. There are no signs
or any type of administrative evidence here that tell you where they are
located so you can either hire a guide and have them point it out to you or
just go looking on your own! You’re free
to go anywhere so just be aware of the wildlife. The petroglyphs vary in design and
sizes. Most of the ones I saw were of
geometric shapes as well as depictions of various animals. We joked among ourselves that petroglyphs
were the original Facebook before Mark Zuckerberg!
The surrounding
area is stunningly beautiful and I was fortunate to see bear tracks at one of
the small pools of water. The only human
contact you may see is the random sheepherder with his flock and the few other
tourists. From Lake Ughtasar we took a
road into the interior and headed north and came to a peak with an amazing view
of a dried river of lava. Off in the
distance you could see where the lava flowed out of too. It’s quite a spectacle to see. If we would have had the time we would of
hiked down to walk on it too. I would of
taken drone footage too but it was just too windy. To get here and see everything you should
plan the entire day for this, just start very early though.
I completely
recommend visiting this area if you are spending time in southern Armenia. It’s close to Karahunj and Shaki Waterfall
and well worth the time and effort to see it.
It’s such a great area to relax and get away from the noisy city
life. Make sure you have a vehicle with
4x4 capability here because this is not an area you want to risk getting
stuck. If you’re a photographer, then
you’ll definitely get some great landscapes and wildlife photos here. Enjoy the nature and history here.
Happy
traveling.
