Back to category Published: 29 july 2022 Author: Zhanna Mukhatzhanova

Mausoleum of Karakoz

According to legend, a girl named Aiym once lived in Mangystau. For her beauty, she was nicknamed Karakoz, which means "black-eyed" in Kazakh. One day Aiym fell ill and died. Her father buried her on a hill, then called in the best builders who erected the mausoleum from pink limestone.

Rumor has it that Karakoz once planted a mulberry. Every time the tree died, a new one was planted in its place. This tradition continues to this day.

The mausoleum of Karakoz was built sometime in the 16-19th centuries. Taras Shevchenko, an outstanding Ukrainian poet and artist, depicted the mausoleum in one of his drawings. The drawing shows a domed structure. To its right, there stands the mulberry tree, and far away one can see hills, which are probably mounds.

Since then, the mausoleum's dome has collapsed, and the walls are damaged in some places. However, one can still see various images on the walls, presumably made in the first half of the 19th century. Among the carvings, there are horses, ships, weapons, and warriors. Inside, the walls are decorated with carvings of kitchen utensils, which indicates that a woman was buried there.

The mausoleum of Karakoz is similar to the Alashakhan Mausoleum, located in the Karaganda Region. They're both single-chamber domed structures. On the facade, there is an elevation with a niche typical for Kazakh mausoleums of that period. The low entrance is also standard for buildings of the 10th-16th centuries.

How to get there?

The mausoleum is located 25 km (15.5 mi) east of Fort Shevchenko. The nearest settlement to the mausoleum is the village of Bauli located 3 km (1.9 mi) east.