Group of foreign journalists travels to Mangystau's sacred sites
On the first day of the visit, 15 journalists from Spain, Italy, the U.S., China, Egypt, the UK, and France met with Mangistau region's major sights - Beket Ata and Shopan Ata underground mosques.
After the trip, the journalists shared their impressions. For instance, British reporter Mariola Fedorchuk noticed that the local burial sites resemble those in China and Japan. She also compared the early burial sites in the necropolis of Shopan Ata with the sites in Slovenia. Cheng Rui, a journalist from China, found that Zoroastrians' spiritual heritage and the traditions of her ancestors, Buddhists, have much in common.
Governor of the region Yeraly Tugzhanov met with the foreign journalists and answered questions about the main social and economic development achievements of the region, foreign investors and projects implemented by them in Mangistau, the development of small and medium business, and about the people living in Kazakhstan. Besides, the head of the region was asked about the preservation of the unique culture of Kazakhstan and the region in particular, and the development of tourism as well.
"We plan to build at least 10 visitor centers, which will have its sightseeing and exhibition center, a souvenir shop, a store of national products, cafes, and sanitary zones. (...) Yesterday you saw the mosques of Beket Ata and Shopan Ata. The tourists who come to us are primarily interested in our sacred sites and how we managed to preserve it all virtually in a state of nature. The people of Kazakhstan were able to preserve traditions and culture in the hardest periods of history. In our country, there are 130 peoples with their culture, traditions, and languages. We have a lot of experience in preserving our identity. Therefore, no external modernization processes can affect the culture and traditions of our people," said Governor Yeraly Tugzhanov.