Underground mosques and cannonball concretions of Mangistau draw tourists

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AKTAU. KAZINFORM According to Kazinform correspondent, these sites in Mangistau region are very popular among foreign and domestic tourists.    

10th-century Shakpak Ata is the only monolithic rock-cut temple in Central Asia, which is completely preserved to our days. It is located on the Tupkaragan Peninsula, 15 kilometers from the Sarytash Bay in Mangistau Region. The walls of the mosque, internal and external, are covered with drawings and inscriptions. It has 5 halls, 4 of which are cut in the form of a cross and point to the sides of the world and the 5th central hall has a spherical dome. The object is nominated in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 
 

Sor Tuzbair is a wonderful creation of nature adjoining the Ustyurt plateau. It is a cascade of clay-limestone "stages", at the base of which lies the salt marsh, that locals call "Sor". During the rainy season, the water in it looks like a huge mirror reflecting the sky. In sunny weather, every grain of soda glitters and sparkles. If you climb up on the high point of the plateau you can find some really good viewing spots. From there you can see those surreal alien landscapes of weird but beautiful mountains, where if you are lucky you can find fossils such as teeth of ancient sharks.
 

The plumes of the Cretaceous cliffs are cut by numerous gullies and deep channels, forming endless rows of the most bizarre columns.
 

The Bozzhir tract is often called the Mangistau Mecca. It is located in the western part of the Ustyurt Plateau, on Mangyshlak Peninsula in the Mangistau region. The highway Necropolis Becket-Ata - Zhanaozen passes about 20 km from the track. Everything is white here - canyons, peaks, mountains-towers, mountains-castles, mountains-yurts, etc. You can go almost in any direction, wherever you want. The distance from Zhanaozen to Boszhira is 148 km, from Aktau to Boszhira - 298 km.
 
 

The Torysh Valley (Valley of Balls) in Mangistau still attracts many tourists, scientists, and ufologists. Scientists still debate about the origins of cannonball concretions. The valley occupies a huge plateau, these are endless fields and ridges of unusual stone formations.
 

 

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