The Turgai Geoglyphs: giant earth figures in the steppe of northern Kazakhstan

The Turgai Geoglyphs are a group of at least 260 large earthworks in the Turgai Trough, Kostanay Region, in the north of Kazakhstan. Built from mounds, trenches, ramparts and sometimes lines of stones, they form squares, rings, crosses and lines that only make sense from high above. Before planning a trip, know that they are easy to see on satellite images and close to invisible at ground level.

What the Turgai Geoglyphs are

They are composite figures: many small earthworks arranged together into one large geometric shape. By Wikipedia, the figures range from slightly under 90 m in length to over 400 m in diameter, and most are squares, rectangles or rings. A few break the pattern, such as the three-armed figure known as the Turgai triradial or triquetra.

Some of the larger shapes carry names. The table below lists those given in the sources, with coordinates where they are published.

For a traveller, the coordinates matter more than the names: they let you check the shapes on a satellite map before deciding whether the ground-level view is worth the distance.

Why they are hard to see on the ground

The main practical fact is that the figures were overlooked for a long time because, from the ground, they are almost impossible to tell apart from ordinary bumps in the landscape. On high-resolution satellite images they are identified fairly reliably. The Kazakh-language article adds that the arms of the Turgai triradial are fully visible only from a bird’s-eye height.

Next to the triradial stand seven more low mounds, 15 to 33 m in diameter. Expect low earth humps in open steppe rather than a monument with paths and signs. If you need a dramatic view, the payoff of the trip will be small; if the idea of standing on a figure you have studied from space appeals to you, it can be worth it.

How old they are: the sources disagree

There is no single agreed date, and the sources give very different figures. Read any age you see quoted with care.

The English figure refers to one mound, not the whole group, which may be part of the gap. Who built the figures and why is unknown, as the Kazakh source states plainly for the triradial.

How they were found

The figures were discovered in 2007 by Dmitriy Dey, an amateur who was searching Google Earth images of Kazakhstan for pyramids and similar structures. More shapes followed in spring 2007, and between 2008 and 2009 seven similar objects were found, including a square, three cross-like figures, a ring of 25 mounds and two lines of mounds. The scientific community heard about them in 2014.

Russian Wikipedia adds an earlier trace: in 1909 B. A. Skalov reported the earthworks at a meeting of the Orenburg Scholarly Archive Commission, a report that came to light only later.

Where they are and what kind of trip it is

Ushtogay Square and the Turgai triradial, the two figures with published coordinates, both lie in Amangeldi District of Kostanay Region, in the north of the country. The triradial is close to the village of Urpek: about 600 m by Russian Wikipedia, about 800 m by English Wikipedia.

We could not confirm the distance from Almaty, Astana or Kostanay city, nor any road, bus or tour access. This is remote steppe, and access details are not confirmed, so plan transport in advance. The Turgai triradial is listed as an archaeological monument of local significance in Kostanay Region, so treat the mounds as a protected site and do not dig or drive over them.

Local beliefs about the site

Among local people the area, and especially the spots where the geoglyphs lie, is seen as a geopathogenic zone. Opinions differ: some call the figures places of power, others believe they bring misfortune. Visit quietly and respect the views of residents in Urpek and nearby villages.