Back to category Published: 02 june 2022 Author: Zhanna Mukhatzhanova

Shopan Ata Underground Mosque

Built in the 10th-12th centuries, the mosque is one of the oldest religious sites in Kazakhstan. It hosts the grave of Shopan Ata, a famous religious figure, Sufi, and educator. The mosque is surrounded by burials dating back to the 9th-14th centuries.

Shopan Ata – a figure shrouded in legend

According to legend, Shopan Ata was a disciple of Khoja Ahmet Yasawi, a prominent Turkic Sufi and poet. Yasawi once gathered all his disciples and asked each to shoot an arrow through the shanyrak (a circular opening at the top of the yurt). Disciples had to preach and spread their ideas wherever their arrows landed. Shopan Ata’s arrow landed in Mangystau, so he had to go there all the way from Turkistan to preach Sufism, a new religious practice within Islam.

There is a mulberry tree that grows next to the mosque. Legend has it that Shopan Ata’s arrow landed in this very place. The plant is presumably 900 years old and is said to have healing properties. They say people need to pass under its branches to get rid of back pain.

Shopan Ata also served as an inspiration to Beket Ata, another well-known Sufi, educator, and philosopher. Before departing to study in Khiva, Beket Ata came to the grave of his spiritual mentor and spent the night there to receive a blessing.

Kuyeutam Mausoleum

Getting to the Shopan Ata Underground Mosque requires a bit of walking from the main road. On your way, you’ll see the Kuyeutam Mausoleum (also known as Kuyeu Mausoleum). Locals claim that Shopan Ata’s son-in-law is buried there. Before you get to the Shopan Ata Mosque, be sure to stop over at Kuyeutam.

The mausoleum dates back to the 16th-17th centuries. Various images of animals are carved on its walls. Images of horses as a symbol of wealth appear more often than others. Images of argali are also depicted on the mausoleum’s walls. Nomads often decorated burial places of saints with argali horns, piles of stones, and wooden poles with pieces of cloth tied to them.

Inside the mausoleum, there is a cauldron where pilgrims light tallow candles. According to legend, you need to go around the mausoleum three times so that the spirits of your ancestors hear your prayer. After that, pilgrims tie a handkerchief or a piece of cloth to the tree. Nomads believed that trees served as a link between the Underworld and Heaven.

Exploring the Shopan Ata Mosque

Shopan Ata Mosque and the burials nearby have become a complex with comfortable infrastructure for pilgrims and tourists. Early burials are of three types: beltas (a pyramid with a stone fence around it), ushtas (an elongated stepped pyramid), sandyktas (a rectangular stone sarcophagus), and others.

The mosque consists of 12 rooms cut inside the rock. Each of these rooms serves a specific purpose. Some rooms are used for religious rituals, while others serve as study rooms. The central room is a small rectangular hall with a circular hole in the ceiling. In the very center of the room, stand two long wooden poles. The pilgrims consider this place sacred.

The chamber where Shopan Ata is buried is located in a rock niche. Legend has it that his daughter is buried in one of the rooms.

How to get there?

The Shopan Ata Underground Mosque is located in the Mangystau Region, 210 km (130 mi) to the east of the city of Aktau. The nearest settlement to the mosque is the village of Kyzylsai (on some maps you may see its old name – Uzen), which is 45 km (28 mi) away. If you’re driving from Aktau, take the A-33 highway and head to the town of Zhanaozen. From there, drive to Kyzylsai. Then follow the signs indicating that you are moving towards the Shopan Ata Underground Mosque. If you drive extra 70 km (43.5 mi) to the east of the Shopan Ata Mosque, you’ll see the Beket Ata Underground Mosque, another architectural monument and a pilgrimage site.

If you’re not up to driving, you can book a 4WD tour that will take you to both mosques and some other attractions of the Mangystau Region. Please note, that venturing deep into the desert alone may be dangerous.