Tien-Shan Mountains
| Tian Shan | |
|---|---|
The Tian Shan range on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan with Khan Tengri (7,010 m) visible at center
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Jengish Chokusu |
| Elevation | 7,439 m (24,406 ft) |
| Coordinates | 42°02′06″N 80°07′32″E / 42.03500°N 80.12556°E |
| Geography | |
| Countries | China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan |
| States/Provinces | Xinjiang and Fergana Region |
| Range coordinates | 42°N 80°E / 42°N 80°ECoordinates: 42°N 80°E / 42°N 80°E |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cenozoic |
| Official name | Xinjiang Tianshan |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix |
| Designated | 2013 (37th session) |
| Reference no. | 1414 |
| State Party | China |
| Region | Asia |
| Official name | Western Tien-Shan |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | x |
| Designated | 2016 (40th session) |
| Reference no. | 1490 |
| State Party | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan |
| Region | Asia |
The Tian Shan, meaning the Mountain of Heaven or the Heavenly Mountain, is a large system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft) high. Its lowest point is the Turpan Depression, which sits at 154 m (505 ft) below sea level.
The Chinese name for Tian Shan may have been derived from the Xiongnu word Qilian (simplified Chinese: 祁连; traditional Chinese: 祁連; pinyin: Qí lián) – according to Tang commentator Yan Shigu, Qilian is the Xiongnu word for sky or heaven.Sima Qian in the Records of the Grand Historian mentioned Qilian in relation to the homeland of the Yuezhi, and the term is believed to refer to the Tian Shan rather than the Qilian Mountains 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) further east now known by this name. The Tannu-Ola mountains in Tuva has the same meaning in its name ("heaven/celestial mountains" or "god/spirit mountains"). Tian Shan is sacred in Tengrism, and its second-highest peak is known as Khan Tengri which may be translated as "Lord of the Spirits".
Tian Shan is north and west of the Taklamakan Desert and directly north of the Tarim Basin in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang in northwest China. In the south it links up with the Pamir Mountains and to north and east it meets the Altai Mountains of Mongolia.
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