CIMETIÈRES ET MOSQUÉES SOUTERRAINES

The Mangystau peninsula is also famous for its numerous necropolises and underground mosques. Many have yet to be discovered, while others are still being excavated. Necropolises were built by nomadic tribes, who deposited their dead in them as they travelled. The same features can be seen all over the Oustiourt plateau: a few stones emerging from the surface of the ground, with silhouettes, motifs or writing engraved on them. Underground mosques were used to spread the faith among nomadic tribes, providing both protection from the climate and an opportunity for Sufi masters on this hostile plateau to isolate themselves from the rest of the world and meditate more freely. The largest of these underground mosques is located at Chakpak-Ata, in the northern part of the Mangystau peninsula. It stands next to a large necropolis and was probably built around the ^10th century. It's possible to wander through the underground rooms, laid out in the shape of a cross around a central room. All have preserved their fine, intertwined decorations with geometric motifs, as Islam formally forbids figuration, but there are also details, notably of hands, which prove that Islamic law had not yet fully taken hold in these far-flung corners of the empire, in contact with nomadic populations and shamanism. A 4x4 is highly recommended to reach the site, after checking that the driver is familiar with the route.