Ancient Necropolises on the Northern Chink of the Ustyurt Plateau -
Trip from Bozoy to the Northern Chink of the Ustyurt Plateau -
On the edge of the harsh and mysterious Ustyurt Plateau, in the steppe silence of the Northern Chink, the ancient Zhumagali Ishana Mosque keeps its ancient secrets – a silent witness of the past and the spiritual strength of the people. This mosque is not just a religious building, it is a whole historical and cultural complex reflecting the spirit of the times: here, in addition to the mosque, there is a large cemetery and the remains of residential and outbuildings. The history of this place goes back centuries. The Northern Chink of the Ustyurt Plateau, with its harsh expanses and ancient riverbeds, such as the Shagan River, has been inhabited since the Neolithic. In the Taskabak tract, life was supported by dams that accumulated water, and irrigation ditches, thanks to which rural life flourished in these lands. An important trade route ran through the Aksai descent, 26 kilometers southeast of the mosque, connecting Karakalpakstan's Chimbay with Temir in the Aktobe region.
How to get there and visit -
The Zhumagali Ishana Mosque is located in the Taskabak tract, at an altitude of 38 meters above sea level, among hills and dams, with names that have preserved the memory of the people who once erected them: Chatvai, Karakol, Ivraim. It is located 12 kilometers southwest of Cape Chagrai on the Doniz-Tau East cliff, and 19.5 kilometers north of Mount Kyzylshikh, 186 meters high. Majestic and lonely, it stands 218 meters from the ancient cemetery, in the Baiganinsky district of the southern part of the Aktobe region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 46°37'22"N 57°19'20"E
Information -
According to archaeological data, the Zhumagali Ishan mosque was built in the 19th century. It is a rare architectural monument: a small building with four domes, built of adobe bricks on clay mortar, using stone slabs to strengthen the arches and masonry. The mosque originally included two rooms, where the inner wall, significantly wider than the outer ones, served as a pylon to support the ceiling. Archaeologists suggest that the ceiling was four domes resting on powerful arches. This cross layout distinguishes the Zhumagali Ishan mosque from other religious buildings in the region. Although the centuries have destroyed much, the southwestern, western, eastern and northeastern walls, which are two meters high and 0.75 meters wide, have been relatively well preserved to this day. Arched openings have survived in the walls, and despite its dilapidated appearance, the mosque still retains the breath of history. Restoration work was carried out on the mosque to preserve the heritage for future generations.
In the scientific community, Zhumagali Ishana first became known in the early 1990s thanks to the expeditions of ethnographer Serik Azhigali. It was he who classified it as a cult-residential complex, recording the ruins of a mosque, residential buildings and a necropolis. A group of archaeologists led by Nursultan Bairov conducted research on the monument, and later efforts were made to preserve it: the walls were restored, the windows, doors and arches were conserved. Today, the Zhumagali Ishan Mosque is included in the state list of historical and cultural monuments of local significance. Zhumagali Ishan himself rests next to the mosque. His grave is located near the southeastern wall of the mosque, just one and a half to two meters from its base. The tombstone, made of local shell rock, bears an epitaph carved in Arabic script. The grave is surrounded by an iron fence, and a memorial plate and a bench are installed nearby for those who come to honor the memory of the great Ishan. To the east, there are two more graves with fences made of sand-lime brick. Zhumagali Ishan passed away in 1906. His name, like an echo of centuries, still lives in these stones, in the winds of Ustyurt, in the skies above the boundless steppe. The mosque he built is not just an architectural monument. This is a place of power, where the past and the present are intertwined in a single breath of eternity.
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