Shopan-Ata Underground Mosque
Шопан-Ата
A must-stop on the pilgrimage road to Beket-Ata, with a 10th-century underground mosque and one of Kazakhstan's largest ancient cemeteries.
Tradition holds that pilgrims heading to Beket-Ata first pay their respects at Shopan-Ata. The underground mosque is carved into the rock of a hill and is said to be where the saint Shopan-Ata meditated. Stretching around it is a vast ancient cemetery, with stone sarcophagi and tombstones carved with saddles, swords and other motifs, spanning several centuries. A pilgrims' guesthouse stands beside it. It lies about 230 km east of Aktau on the road to Beket-Ata and can be visited on the same day.
Opening hours
Open all day (pilgrimage site)
Nearby sights
- Kyzylkup
- Tuzbair Salt Flat
- Beket-Ata Underground Mosque
- Bozzhyra Valley
- Airakty Valley of Castles
- Sherkala Mountain
- Karagiye Depression
- Torysh Valley of Balls