Shakpak-Ata

Incised on its chalk-white walls are depictions of animals, plants, Arabic inscriptions and ornately sculpted designs. There are also drawings of open palms, which is unusual considering traditional Islam prohibits depicting the human form. The explanation for this is because it was a Sufi religious site, and the open palm symbolises protection from evil. One of the most notable inscriptions is an old Sufi poem ruminating about the temporality of life. Scholars believe that Shakpak Ata was a monastic Sufi sanctuary specialised in healing.

Elsewhere on the cliff are 2,000 more tombs hidden away in numerous niches beneath the mosque. According to local folklore, Shakpak Ata was renowned throughout Mangystau because a spiritual healer lived here who had the powers to cure people of illness and disease. A spiral staircase leads from the ground floor up to a pavilion. In the centre of the crypt, there’s a section with an open roof to let the light in. Nearby there are also a few cells previously used as a home for religious hermits.

Six kilometres east of Shakpak Ata is the rarely visited Ungaza Gorge. In 2022, the Sartas Hotel and visitor centre opened up near the secluded shoreline of Sarytash Bay, less than five kilometres north of Shakpak Ata. It’s the only place to stay in the area, offering bike rentals, comfortable rooms for 3–5 people, and a cafe-restaurant for meals.