Silent witnesses of the Gokturk era in Mongolia restored by Türkiye

Damaged and endangered Gokturk period artifacts in the Mongolian provinces of Arkhangai, Ovorkhangai and Tov have been restored with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

The restoration work, carried out by Turkish and Mongolian experts, included photogrammetric documentation, restitution and maintenance of the objects.

Traces of nomadic culture

Historians and archaeologists are piecing together the rich mosaic of nomadic life in Mongolia with the discovery of hundreds of ancient human-shaped stones called “balbals.”

More than 785 balbals have been discovered in Mongolia, many of which date back to the Gokturk period. These statues represent a common thread connecting various nomadic empires, including the Bronze Age cultures of the Gokturk, the Uyghur, the Khitan, and even the Mongols.

Restoration efforts

TIKA launched a project to restore objects from the Gokturk period. The project focused on 10 human-figured stones identified as being in critical condition and at high risk of further damage.

Using a mobile laboratory provided by TIKA to the Mongolian Cultural Heritage Center, a comprehensive work was carried out by experts.

The restoration project, led by Professor Saban Dogan, Director of the Turkish Office of the IKCU-MUIS Research Institute of Turkology and experts from the Mongolian Cultural Heritage Center, involved covering approximately 4,000 kilometers.

They examined the damage to human-figured stones from the Gokturk era at sites such as the Ongi River Complex Monuments, the Ongot Complex Monuments, the Altan Sandal Mountain Complex Monuments, Honiciyn Gol and Godron Tolgoy.

Throughout this process, the artifacts were subject to photogrammetric documentation, restitution, restoration and maintenance.

Preservation in the natural environment

Most of the balbals have not been transferred to museums in order to preserve the historical and cultural significance of their original location, leaving them vulnerable to all kinds of natural damage.

The restoration work was therefore carried out with the greatest care, aiming to preserve the stones in their original state.

These efforts, supported by TIKA, are essential for the preservation and transmission of Gokturk era artifacts to future generations.