Tour to Shakpak-Ata Mosque
Pilgrimage on Mangyshlak to the holy places –
Sacred and sacred places of Mangistau –
Shakpak-Ata Mosque, carved into the rock, is also considered an underground mosque, a sacred place in Kazakhstan, a place of pilgrimage for believers from all over the world, a sacred place and a place of power. The mosque is open from morning to evening until sunset, after nightfall the mosque is closed, so you need to visit it in the daytime. The mosque is quite spacious, carved into the rock, in the mosque lived wars, a Sufi, a holy man whose name was Shakpak-ata, he also built this mosque. The mosque is located in the desert area of the Mangistau region, here you will not meet crowds of tourists, the places are quite secluded. You can meet pilgrims in the mosque, so dress code must be observed here, do not come to the mosque in short skirts, open short shorts, etc.
GPS coordinates of Shakpak-Ata Mosque: N44°26.27" E51°09.675"
The route of the pilgrimage to the Shakpak-ata mosque:
Aktau - Akshukur village - Kashkar-ata mazars - Karamandy village - Esmambet-ata necropolis (XVIII - XIX centuries) - Tauchik village - Shakpak-ata underground mosque (X - XIII centuries) - Sultan-ape underground mosque (IX - XII centuries)
- Distance of the route:
292 km
- Season time:
all season
- Best time:
весна, лето, осень
- Group size:
1-25
- Days & nights:
1 day
Tour itinerary:
Departure from Aktau. Our path lies in the direction of a small town on the shores of the Caspian Sea Fort Shevchenko and in the direction of the airport, we pass the village of Akshukur, opposite the village on the right is the necropolis of Kashkar ata, if you wish, you can visit the necropolis of Kashkar ata. Then we pass the village of Karamandy and immediately after the village we turn to the Esmambet ata necropolis (XVIII - XIX centuries) (32 km).
Prayer ritual at Esmambet ata mazar, sadakh, walk in the surroundings. After visiting the Esmambet ata necropolis, the Caspian Sea is visible to the left of the road. At the fork in the road, we turn right in the direction of the village of Tauchik, stop for photographing at the chalk remnants, a short walk in the surroundings (46 km).
Transfer: cretaceous remnants - Tauchik village - Shakpak ata underground mosque (59 km). Visiting the necropolis and the underground mosque Shakpa ata carved in the Cretaceous deposits on the edge of a rocky cliff. Prayer ritual, sadah. Walk in the vicinity, photographing the Shakpak ata canyon. Lunch in the vicinity of Shakpak ata mosque. On the 84-km highway Aktau - Fort-Shevchenko, we turn off the road and head to the long and narrow Kapamsay gorge.
Transfer: Shakpak ata underground mosque - Kapamsay canyon (10 km). Stop for photographing the Kapamsay canyon, on the left side of us from south to north, the chalk canyon Kapamsay stretches below, the end of the canyon reaches the shore of the Caspian Sea. The road to it is strewn with silicon fragments.
We go down to the shepherd's parking lot, which resembles a garage made of different brands of old cars unsuitable for driving, we pass an ancient mazar and stop at the beginning of a limestone mountain, to which a staircase lined with limestone blocks leads, in the slope of which the rooms of the mosque are cut down. Opposite the mosque, there is an ancient burial place where camels graze.
Excursion to the necropolis and underground mosque Shakpak ata. Return to Aktau through the Shakhbagata-sai gorge with beautiful chalk rock outcrops, this is one of the fabulously beautiful places in Mangyshlak. Here we spend the rest of the time until the evening and then through the village. Transfer to Aktau (145 km).
Photogallery:
