Shakpak-Ata Underground Mosque
Шақпақ-Ата
A 10th–14th-century underground mosque carved into a canyon wall, cross-shaped in plan and surrounded by ancient tombs decorated with carvings.
Shakpak-Ata lies in a canyon on the Tupkaragan Peninsula. The entire mosque is carved into a sandstone cliff, with a cross-shaped plan and a central dome with a light opening. The walls bear Arabic inscriptions and images of hands and animals, and the site is believed to be associated with Sufi hermits. Beneath the cliff and on the hillsides lie numerous finely carved gravestones. It is about 20 km from Fort-Shevchenko and is often scheduled on the same day as Sultan-Epe. Visitors must remove their shoes and dress modestly.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Sultan-Epe
- Torysh Valley of Balls
- Koshkar-Ata Necropolis
- Mangystau Regional Museum of History and Local Lore
- Aktau Caspian Embankment
- Aktau Lighthouse
- Fort-Shevchenko
- Sherkala Mountain