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This travelogue describes the places we visit on our journeys through Mangystau in western Kazakhstan. The information comes mainly from our two most recent trips—autumn 2025 and spring 2026.
One of our guides sang this song in the evenings, in front of the tents, during the autumn 2025 trip.
Our journeys in Mangystau are always magical. Beyond the dramatic landscapes of rock, steppe, desert, and semi-desert, we also travel along the Caspian Sea coast—from Aktau, the region’s main city, to Fort Shevchenko in the north, and then on to the underground mosque of Karaman Ata and the strangely named Ybykty Canyon.
Map of our trip compiled from geo-tagged photos and route tracks from the 2025 and 2026 journeys
Mangystau is a region in southwestern Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea, best known for its rich oil and gas reserves. Its capital is the city of Aktau. Few people, however, are aware of Mangystau’s otherworldly natural beauty—its stunning canyons, cliffs, and mountains. The landscapes here are often compared to Martian terrain, but instead of red, they are strikingly white.
The Ustyurt Plateau, part of which lies in Mangystau in western Kazakhstan, stretches across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It is a desert area of approximately 200,000 square kilometers, and its edges are lined with cliffs rising more than 150 meters. The uplift of geological layers deposited on an ancient seabed, together with erosion, has shaped a remarkable variety of landforms.
We set aside one day for Aktau—a port city on the Caspian Sea and the economic center of southwestern Kazakhstan. The city emerged in the second half of the 20th century as one of the USSR’s ambitious projects. Since there are no natural sources of fresh water, it is produced through desalination or brought in from other regions. Aktau was initially a center for uranium mining and processing in the southern Soviet Union. Today the focus has shifted, and the city is considered the unofficial capital of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry.
The city’s best-known tourist attraction is the “Rock Path”—an eco-trail along the Caspian Sea shore with benches, sculptures, ancient rock drawings, and viewing platforms. In Aktau we also saw the monument to Taras Shevchenko, a MiG-21 airplane, the Eternal Flame, and more.
A unique attraction in Aktau is a residential high-rise building with a lighthouse installed on its roof.
On the first day of our adventure deep in Mangystau, we visit Kapamsay (Kapamsay Canyon)—a beautiful place linked to a sad story about several Sufi saints who died here; their simple graves can be seen from afar. As you approach, the white walls of the chasm are visible even from a distance. The canyon is 4 km long and up to 70 m deep.
Our next stop is the necropolis and the ancient underground—or, more precisely, rock-cut—mosque of Shakpak Ata (Shakpak Ata) from the 12th century, an impressive religious landmark. Although it is called “underground,” it is actually carved into limestone on a low rise and dates to the period between the 10th and 13th centuries. Centuries ago, the mosque was a center for sacred Sufi rituals, dances, and healing practices.
Torysh (Orbicular Concretions, or Torysh), also known as the “Valley of Balls.” Hundreds—perhaps thousands—of stone spheres, 1 to 3 meters in diameter, are scattered across the area. It looks as if giants have left their toys behind. These striking geological formations occur naturally and are known as “nodules.” They form when minerals accumulate layer by layer around various objects—from shark teeth and shells to stones and plants—in other words, anything that attracted minerals in the waters of the Tethys Ocean. Over time, the deposits build up and turn to stone. Because the formation environment was relatively uniform, the spheres acquired their rounded shape. Other theories about their origin also exist.
Black Canyon is another interesting place in Mangystau. We stop there mainly to eat, but of course we also walk along the canyon floor.
Kokala Valley is one of the most impressive landscapes on the Ustyurt Plateau. A true work of rocky “art,” it glows with vivid colors against the reddish-brown earth. Over the years, wind erosion and other natural forces have sculpted the rock surface into intricate shapes and revealed an astonishing palette of shades. As you walk across the rocky terrain, you can easily feel how time has left its mark on this land.
Next comes Sherkala Mountain (Sherkala), 332 m high—one of the most impressive places in Mangystau. Its name comes from the Persian words for lion (“shir”) and fortress (“kalat”), since its western side resembles a lion. Its southern side looks like a yurt and is depicted on the 1,000 tenge banknote.
During the spring 2026 trip, we spent the night in the area of Ayrakty-Shomanay, or simply Ayrakty—a cluster of mountain massifs. This place became known as the “Valley of the Castles of Ayrakty” thanks to drawings by the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. The surroundings resemble a mysterious desert city, with ruins that look like towers and castles.
The view from the tents.
Tuzbair (Tuzbair) is a dream come true for any photographer. Vast white salt flats stretch to the horizon, framed by towering white cliffs. The views offer endless photo opportunities, especially when mirages create the illusion of shimmering lakes in the distance. After rain, the area turns into an enormous mirror of water, beautifully reflecting the sky.
In the evening we watch a sky filled with stars. During the 2026 trip there was a full moon that turned the place into a fairytale. In 2025 there wasn’t as much wind, and we could set the tents out in the open. In 2026 we had to pitch them between the rocks because the wind was strong.
During the autumn 2025 trip, we found a strange piece of stone here—perhaps flint—that made a metallic sound when struck. In our discussion about the find, we even considered an “alien” origin. Its penis-like shape made the situation even more complicated. We were determined to figure out what it was, but when we left, we forgot it in camp. Perhaps it was never meant to leave this place.
Walking across the salt marsh is a special experience. Many grasshoppers, mice, and even birds lie preserved in the brine. How they ended up there remains a mystery.
We continue to the old underground mosque of Beket-Ata (Beket Ata), located at the bottom of a canyon. We don’t reach it, because access is difficult and we don’t have enough time. From the edge of the plateau—where there is a modern parking lot and a mosque for pilgrims—the canyon and the old mosque are clearly visible.
The Beket-Ata Mosque, a revered pilgrimage site in Mangystau, was founded in the 18th century by the renowned religious figure and Sufi Beket Mirzagulu. This unique mosque, carved into a large rock, consists of four small chambers. Some have skylights in the ceiling; one contains the remains of Beket-Ata, another holds their staff, the third is the burial place of their sister, and the fourth is a prayer hall for women only.
Later the same day we reach the most iconic place in Mangystau—Bozhira (Bozhira), incomparable in grandeur and beauty. Located on the western edge of the Ustyurt Plateau, Bozhira is a massif of colossal cliffs and isolated limestone mountain “islands.” Its name, of Kazakh origin, means “gray gorge” or “gray-blue hollow.” The terrain, shaped over time by water, wind, and earth movements, was once part of the floor of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Limestone layers deposited over hundreds of millions of years reach heights of up to 250 meters. After tectonic changes lifted the Ustyurt Plateau, erosion shaped the land into its present form—a process that continues to transform the landscape even today. Bozhira is a protected natural park covering more than 3,000 square kilometers. The most famous viewpoints and rock formations, however, are concentrated within about 40 square kilometers. A quick tour can take 2–3 hours, not counting the driving time between viewpoints.
The “Martian Panorama” viewpoint offers a breathtaking view of the area, including the “Dragon’s Crest” and the “Tooth Formation” in the distance. A small path leads to the edge of a large cliff—an excellent place for photos.
“Dragon’s Crest” is located 6 km to the south and looks out toward a limestone ridge resembling a dragon’s spine. It’s an incredible place for photography and is considered the best in Mangystau. We reached it after about a 15-minute walk with a gentle ascent.
In the same area there is a huge canyon that we saw only from above. If you have more days, you can hike along its bottom.
The Kyzylkup tract (Kyzylkup tract), affectionately nicknamed “Tiramisu,” is a series of vivid hills with red and white layers of ancient limestone. They say Italians coined the name “Tiramisu” by analogy with the dessert of the same name—because of the similar look of the layers on the slopes.
Bokty Mountain (Bokty Mountain) is one of the most impressive natural landmarks in the area. Its name translates from Kazakh as “pie,” describing its characteristic layered profile. The rock strata alternate in different colors: the lightest shades dominate at the base and gradually shift to darker tones toward the middle.
Our exploration of the region continues with a visit to Fort Shevchenko, located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, 130 kilometers northwest of Aktau. The most interesting attraction in the town is the first museum on the Mangyshlak Peninsula—the Shevchenko Museum—which preserves paintings, documents, and household items illustrating the life of the respected Ukrainian poet and artist.
Shevchenko was born on March 9, 1814, in the Kyiv region. Although they lived only 47 years, they spent ten of them in exile in Kazakhstan. During this exile, between 1851 and 1852, they took part in the Karatau expedition, focused on studying the natural resources of Mangyshlak. In those two years alone, they created about 140 sketches and paintings, bringing the total to more than 350 works over the ten years of exile.
Attached to the Shevchenko Museum is an Ethnographic Museum with an interesting collection of objects from different historical eras.
The old Russian cemetery is also interesting; it contains the remains of the town’s founders. It is currently abandoned.
The Saura Gorge lies on the shore of the Caspian Sea, together with a freshwater lake of the same name. Pond turtles live here, which is why it is also called Turtle Lake (Cherepashye Ozero).
Nearby there is a large beach on the Caspian Sea. During the spring 2026 trip we saw many small snakes crawling along the beach. The water is suitable for swimming in summer, until the end of September; during the rest of the year it is cold. Above the beach there is an abandoned village from the beginning of the 19th century. The last resident died two years ago, and with that the life of the place came to an end. There are many abandoned buildings, including a school, showing that the village was once lively for a long time.
After about an hour and a half of driving from Aktau—including along rough steppe dirt roads—we reach the necropolis and the underground mosque of Karaman Ata (Karaman-ata), one of the oldest necropolises in the Mangystau region. Its earliest tombs date to the 8th–9th centuries. There is also an underground mosque built in the 12th–13th centuries, where, according to local legends, the remains of the revered Kazakh Sufi sage Karaman-ata are kept. Both the mosque and the surrounding necropolis are declared monuments of national significance in Kazakhstan.
About a 30-minute drive by jeep from the Karaman Ata underground mosque is Ybykty Canyon (Ybykty Canyon)—another jewel of the Mangystau region. Its rocks twist and turn, drawing unique silhouettes against the sky. The canyon walls are covered with holes resembling honeycombs, bone textures under a microscope, or aerated chocolate—hence the nickname “the Porous Ybykty Gorge.”
No less interesting are the steppes of Mangystau—an endless plain covered with low vegetation, where horses run free and camels graze. Here and there you’ll see an oil rig. This is, in fact, the more typical landscape, which many people find boring. But if you look closely—or simply allow yourself some time to enjoy this monotony—you’ll discover its hidden beauty.
The rare settlements with overhead gas pipelines, camels wandering the streets, and small general stores where you can buy anything you need are exotic in every sense.
Sometimes the gas station is literally just the truck. Why bother building structures and securing them?
And finally—the anthem of the spring 2026 trip: a song we listened to by moonlight in one of the most thrilling places in the world.
The lyrics are just the main refrain (in English).
Take me to church I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife Offer me that deathless death Oh, good God, let me give you my life
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