Tonyukuk Inscriptions

Tonyukuk was the adviser and general who served four khagans of the Second Turkic Khaganate, and around 716 he had two stone stelae raised at his memorial complex carrying an account of his life and campaigns in the runic Old Turkic script. They are the earliest substantial texts known in any Turkic language and among the most important documents for the history of Inner Asia, written in the first person and unusually direct. The stones stand where they were raised, in flat steppe with a scatter of associated stone figures, sheep-shaped stones and a line of balbal markers running east. A shelter protects them and a small building holds explanatory material. The site falls within the wider Orkhon-era commemorative tradition that includes the Kul Tigin and Bilge Khagan monuments further west.

History

Tonyukuk was counsellor to four khagans of the Second Turkic Khaganate and died in the 720s. Unlike the other Orkhon inscriptions, raised after their heroes had died, these were set up by Tonyukuk himself around 716 on two stelae, written from top to bottom in the Old Turkic alphabet, which is why his later deeds are not told (Wikipedia, Tonyukuk inscriptions).

The main sights

• The two stelae - the runic Old Turkic inscriptions in situ.
• Stone figures - carved human figures at the memorial complex.
• The balbal line - the row of stones running east from the monument.
• Steppe setting - open ground with the memorial standing alone.

When to go

May to September for the roads and light; the site is exposed and cold outside summer. Morning or evening light picks out the shallow runic carving best. It takes under an hour and is an easy trip from Ulaanbaatar.

What to expect

The stones are weathered and the script means nothing without a translation, so the interest is knowing what they are rather than reading them. Interpretation on site is limited. Facilities are minimal. The track from the main road is rough.

Nearby

Nalaikh is close; Ulaanbaatar lies west and Terelj north.

Key facts