On May 5, 2025, the I International Forum titled “Ancient Rock Art in the Context of Central Asian Cultural Heritage” was held at the Tamgaly State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve-Museum in Karabastau village, Zhambyl district. The event was organized by the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology.

As part of the forum, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Institute and the Tamgaly Reserve-Museum, aimed at strengthening joint scientific research, archaeological and ethnological studies, academic exchange, and co-hosted events.

Scholarly presentations were delivered by both local and international researchers, including A. Rogozhinsky, Mongolian scholar Mushelkhan Adilbek, Iranian expert Nuri Mustafa, as well as Institute staff – PhD Zh. Zhenis, Dr. Zh. Oshan, MAs A. Bekenova and K. Nurtai.

The forum also featured the presentation of a new academic monograph by Zhanimkhan Oshan titled “The Formation Process of Turkic Tribes in the 5th–10th Centuries: A Historical Source Analysis”, along with the updated visitor guidebook of the Tamgaly Reserve-Museum.

At the end of the event, participants enjoyed a guided tour of the world-famous Tamgaly petroglyph complex, a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.