Tian Shan
| Tian Shan | |
|---|---|
| Tengir-Too, Tengri Tagh, 天山 | |
Snow-covered peaks of central Tian Shan behind alpine meadows, with Nansen Peak (5,697 m) in the middle | |
| 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 | |
Tian Shan Tian Shan | |
| Countries | |
| Range coordinates | 42°N 80°E / 42°N 80°E |
| Geology | |
| Rock age(s) | Mesozoic and Cenozoic |
| Official name | Xinjiang Tianshan |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix |
| Designated | 2013 (37th session) |
| Reference no. | 1414 |
| Region | Asia |
| Official name | Western Tien-Shan |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | x |
| Designated | 2016 (40th session) |
| Reference no. | 1490 |
| Region | Asia |
| Tian Shan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 天山 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Mountains of Heaven" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Tian Shan, also known as the Tengri Tagh or Tengir-Too, is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia. The highest peak is Jengish Chokusu at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft) high and located in Kyrgyzstan. Its lowest point is at the Turpan Depression, which is 154 m (505 ft) below sea level.
The Tian Shan is sacred in Tengrism. Its second-highest peak is known as Khan Tengri, which can be translated as "Lord of the Spirits". At the 2013 Conference on World Heritage, the eastern portion of Tian Shan in western China's Xinjiang Region was listed as a World Heritage Site. The western portion in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan was then listed in 2016.