AHistoryIndependent states
Khan Tengri
The best-known peak of the Tian Shan: it takes its name from Tengri, the sky god of the ancient Turks.
Khan Tengri rises where the borders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China meet. With its ice cap it stands 7,010 metres high, and because its marble pyramid turns red at sunset, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz also call it the "Bloody Mountain".
Its name means "Lord of the Sky": the ancient Turks believed in the sky god Tengri and held high mountains sacred. The Chinese name Tian Shan, "Heavenly Mountains", carries the same meaning. Khan Tengri is one of the national symbols of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
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Updated: November 12, 2026