Tours to Mangyshlak Shakpak-Ata Necropolis (Kazakhstan)

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Tours to Mangyshlak

Shakpak-Ata Necropolis

The Necropolis of Shakpak-Ata (10th-13th cc.) and its underground mosque are located on the Tupkargan peninsula, 15 km from Sarytash bay. The Shakpak-Ata mosque takes the shape of a Latin cross. It is cut into the slope of a stone outcrop between two ravines going down the face of Ungazy mountain. The cruciate shape of the mosque brings to mind another purpose of the mosque in pre-Islamic times. Shakpak-Ata mosque displays the best traditions of nomadic stone work.

The entrance to the mosque is formed as a portal arch, with several recesses for the entombing of revered imams cutout nearby. The mosque takes the shape of a regular cross with an elongated southern end. The corners of the central square hall are decorated with massive columns which support a high arch with a round opening in the middle. The arches between the columns have remnants of multi-colored murals.

In the western section of the mosque there are small rectories. The walls of the mosque’s halls, portal and recesses are covered with painting from different times — contour images of horses and riders, bulls, open palms, and floral designs. A Sufi poem about this world’s fragility and life’s futility stands out among the other inscriptions.

Duration: 1 day;

Season: April 15 – October 15;

Size of group: 1 to 14.

Route: Aktau — Kapan Sai valley — Shakpak-ata mosque — Aktau

Transfer: Aktau — Shakpak-Ata necropolis (130 km., 3 hours). Departure from Aktau. We drive in the direction of the small town of on the coast of the. At the 84th km of the road to Aktau,, we turn off into the long and narrow Kapam-Sai valley.

The road is covered with silicon chips. We arrive at a shepherd’s stand, which looks like a garage with a number of old and useless cars; then we pass the old tomb and stop at the foot of a rocky mountain. From here we walk up limestone steps to Shakpak-Ata mosque, cutout of the slope. There is an ancient graveyard in front of the mosque.

Sightseeing and walking around. Lunch. Return to Aktau via the Shakhbagata-sai valley with picturesque colorful rocks, this is one of the most beautiful places in Mangyshlak. Walking tour rest of the day, then continue the drive to Aktau via Tauchik village (120 km).
Beket-Ata Necropolis

On September 8–9, 2000, a commemoration of the Holy Sufi Beket-Ata took place in Mangyshlak,. It was dedicated to his 250th birthday. Beket-Ata is known in the Muslim world as a prophet to whom all Creation was open. As legend says, Beket-Ata lived in the second part of the 18th century. He was born in the present-day location of Kulsary village in Atyrau region.

When he turned 14, Beket-Ata came to visit the ashes of the highly honored sage, Shopan-Ata, to receive his blessing. A legend says that Shopan-Ata was a follower of the Holy Khodja Akhmed Yassawi. Acording to the legend, Shopan-Ata had found a staff of Yassawi’s and later built a mosque on that spot in present-day Senek region.

The staff gave birth to a tree that still grows near the mosque and is 800 years old. On the third day, the young boy heard an instruction that he was meant to study. Then Shopan-Ata went to distant Khiva, where he studied in a madrasah. When he reached his 40th birthday, he became a Sufi and started teaching the Koran to children. He walked many roads till he one day returned to Mangystau. He healed people, giving them health and long life. Using his wisdom, he was able to settle arguments so that both sides remained satisfied. He preached justice and kindness.

A Sage and Holy man, he also was a brave warrior, who performed many feats during battles with the Kalmucks. Beket-Ata built 4 mosques: one in Kulsary called the White Mosque; the second carved in limestone rocks, 20 km from Beyneu village; the third in Baishatyr region on the Ustyurt plateau and a fourth underground mosque, carved out of a limestone mountain in the — the latter is the one we will visit. It consists of seven rooms. They have perfect acoustics. Beket-Ata is buried near the mosque. Beket-Ata Necropolis is a spiritual, historical and architectural memorial.

Duration: 2 days;

Period: April 15 — October 15

Accommodation: 1 night in guesthouse at Beket-Ata mosque;

Size of group: 1 to 14.

Route: Aktau – Zhana Uzen – Senek village – Sholpan Ata Necropolis – Shapakty pass – Oglandy valley – Beket Ata Mosque – Aktau

Day 1: Transfer: Aktau — Zhana Uzen’ (New Uzen’) — Senek village — Shopan-Ata Necropolis (10th-13th cc.) — Shakpakty pass — Oglandy Valley — Beket-Ata Mosque (320 km., 7–8 hours).
Early departure from Aktau. Our route runs to the southeast in the direction of Zhana Uzen’ on a good asphalt road. We will pass the small town of ’, then Senek village, after which we turn to the left onto a back road and drive for about 15 km. To the right, Shopan-Ata Necropolis can be seen — it is a traditional stop for piligrims heading to the Beket-Ata mosque. There is a well with drinking water nearby. From here we will drive up to the plateau on so-called «steps». There are precipices to the left and right of the plateau. Arrival at Beket-Ata mosque, accommodation in guesthouse. Rest. Evening prayer in the mosque. Dinner and night in guesthouse.

Day 2: Breakfast. Excursion to the place where Beket-Ata lived. Descent from the plateau takes Karaman-Ata Necropolis

The most significant necropolises of Mangyshlak are Beket-Ata, Shopan-Ata, Shakpak-Ata, Seisem-Ata, Masat-Ata, Karaman-Ata, Koshkar-Ata, Sultan-Epe, Khanga-Baba, Ushtam, Akshora and others. The Karaman-Ata necropolis includes an underground mosque consisting of 4 big rooms.
Daylight comes through an opening in the ceiling. It is cool inside the mosque, and small lizards sleep on the walls. There is an ancient cemetary on the territory of the necropolis.

Duration: 1 day;

Season: April – October

Size of group: 1 to 14.

Route: Aktau – Bardybek village – Karaman-Ata necropolis — Aktau

Day 1. Transfer: Aktau — Bardybek village — Karaman-Ata necropolis (85 km., 2 hours). Departure from Aktau. Our route goes in the direction of Bayandy village. At the end of the city we pass a small «dead» lake, created to process the manufacturing wastes of the Mangyshlak metallurgical works.

We pass Bardybek tomb, situated 1km from the road. Soon we will see oil derricks and gas flames. There are pipes running along the road which carry water from the. We turn to the left, in the direction of Shetpe village, and will reach the Karaman-Ata necropolis very soon.

Sightseeing, visit to the underground mosque and graveyard. Return to Aktau. On the way, we stop at a lake. Lunch at the lake. Transfer to Aktau.

Geographical location. Mangystau region includes the territory of the Mangyshlak peninsula, a major part of the Usturt plateau and the southern part of the Caspian depression — the Buzachi peninsula. That amounts to more than 16 million hectares of natural desert and semi-desert. There are several beautiful landscape areas here:

shore of the, including a large number of canyons and ravines;

mountain massif of Karatau;

chalky and limestone cliffs;

sand dunes;

clay and salty surfaces of dry lake beds;

hollows.

Trees and shrubby vegetation are rare. The Earth is naked «to the bones» in Mangyshlak, which is what gives geologists such a superb possibility to investigate the ancient aquatic geology.

The climate of the region is extreme continental. Winters are harsh and windy, and snow is rare. Spring is short, dry and windy. Summer is hot, cloudless and long lasting. Autumn is warm and long as well. The surrounds Mangyshlak from three sides but influences only the weather of the narrow seaside. The climate there is more humid, temperatures are lower in summer and higher in winter. Annual average temperature is about +10.5 + 11.5°C. Absolute annual minimum temperature is +26 + 34°C; maximum + 43 +45°C; surface heat reaches +60 +70°C. The hottest period is from the middle of July to mid-August. Autumn frosts start at the end of October, and the spring thaw begins in April.

Precipitation is poor. Annual average precipitation is from 140–160 mm in the north to 90–12mm in the south. Rain showers are common in spring and early summer. In mountainous areas they may cause mudslides.

Snow cover on Mangyshlak and Ustyurt is weak (3–7 cm) and short lived. Not all areas are covered with snow. As a result of the high temperatures, poor precipitation and windy weather, evaporation exceeds precipitation by 10–15 times and air humidity is only 40–60%.

Duration: 4 days;

Accommodation: 2 nights in hotel, 1 night in tents;

Category of difficulty: A;

Season: April 15 — October 15;

Size of group: no more than 10.

Route: Almaty-Aktau-Fort Shevchenko-Jygylgan valley-Sultan-epe canyon- Shakpak-ata – Aktau- Almaty

Day 1. Departure from Almaty. Arrival in Aktau. Meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel, accommodation. City sightseeing: city historical museum, orthodox church, monument to Taras Shevchenko, city square, city embankment, and. Lunch and dinner at a local cafe. Night in hotel.

Day 2. Departure from Aktau. Transfer: Aktau — (135 km, asphalt road). We will visit a complex of museums dedicated to the ethnography of the region, a local writer named Muryn and to Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko. Lunch at a local cafe. Transfer: — Jygylgan valley (60 km on dirt road). Visit a grand cave near the sea. We will also have the opportunity to view the petrified remains of animals of the Neocene (sabre-toothed cats and hoofed creatures, dated to 15 mln. years ago). Visit to the archaeological on the way. Hike (3 km) up and down the plateau (100 m). Transfer: Jygylgan — Sultan-epe canyon (30 km, dirt road). Along the way, visit to the family graveyard of Kargashty-aulie and Ushtam (9th-16th cc). At the entrance to the canyon, on the right side is the grave of holy Sultan-epe and an underground mosque. Visit to the mosque, Free time. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 3. Breakfast. Transfer: Sultan-epe — Shakpak-ata underground mosque (30 km, dirt road).Stop at the chalky, hike (6 km). Lunch en-route. Visit to the underground mosque of Shalpak-ata, cutout of the rock. We will see unique drawings and inscriptions (10th-13th cc.) on the walls of the mosque. Transfer: Shakpak-ata mosque — Aktau (140 km, dirt road, asphalt road). Our route runs through the wide chalky, where we will stop for a walk. Arrival in Aktau, accommodation at the «Rakhat»**** hotel. Dinner at a local cafe. Night in hotel.

Day 4. Transfer to the airport and departure from Aktau to Almaty.

Ustyurt plateau

Geographical location. Mangystau region includes the peninsula, a major part of the Ustyurt plateau and the southern part of the Caspian depression — the Buzachi peninsula. That amounts more than 16 million hectares of natural desert and semi-desert. There are several beautiful landscape areas here:

shore of the including a large number of canyons and ravines;

mountain massif of Karatau;

chalky and limestone cliffs;

sand dunes;

clay and salty surfaces of dry lake beds;

hollows.

Trees and shrubby vegetation are rare. The Earth is naked «to the bones» in Mangyshlak, which is what gives geologists such a superb possibility to investigate the ancient geology of the region.

The climate of the region is extreme continental. Winters are harsh and windy and snow is rare. Spring is short, dry and windy. Summer is hot, cloudless and long lasting. Autumn is warm and long as well. The caspian Sea surrounds Mangyshlak from three sides but influences only the narrow seaside. The climate there is more humid, and temperatures are lower in summer and higher in winter. Annual average temperature is about +10.5 + 11.5°C. Absolute annual minimum temperature is +26 + 34°C; maximum + 43 +45°C; surface heat reaches +60 +70°C. The hottest period is from the middle of July to mid-August. Autumn frosts begin at the end of October, and the spring thaw starts in April.

Precipitation is poor. Annual average precipitation is from 140–160mm in the north to 90–12mm in the south. Rain showers are common in spring and early summer. In mountainous areas they may cause mudslides.

Snow cover on Mangyshlak and Ustyurt is thin (3–7 cm) and unstable. Not all areas are covered with snow. As a result of the high temperatures, poor precipitation and windy weather, evaporation exceeds precipitation by 10–15 times and air humidity is 40–60% only.

Duration: 4 days;

Accommodation: 2 nights in hotel, 1 night in tents;

Category of difficulty: A;

Season: April 15 — October 15;

Size of group: no more than 10.

Route: Almaty-Aktau-Basjira valley – Tynymbai mountains – Bokty mountain – Akkurpa valley – Baisary valley – Kamyty valley – Aktau — Almaty

Day 4. Transfer to the airport and departure from Aktau to Almaty.

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