Back to category Published: 10 june 2022 Author: Zhanna Mukhatzhanova

Sultan Epe Underground Mosque

The Mangystau Region boasts more than 12 thousand historical and religious monuments making it the region with the largest number of spiritual places in Kazakhstan. In the 14-16th centuries, Sufism (Islamic mysticism or asceticism) came to the region. There, Sufi hermits settled in caves and founded mosques. Traditional mosques have never before been located in such unusual places.

Sultan Epe Underground Mosque is one of the region’s cave mosques. It is surrounded by an ancient necropolis and ruins of early settlements. What distinguishes this necropolis from others located nearby are the long wooden poles that rise above the tombs of the righteous people buried here. Visitors make small cloth knots and tie them to the poles to commemorate their ancestors.

Sultan Epe Mosque, built in the 9th-13th centuries, is similar to the Shakpak Ata and Beket Ata Underground Mosques. It consists of eleven rooms with columns to support the ceiling. There are three openings in the roof to let in the daylight. A stone 2-meter staircase leads down from the entrance. The floor is made of clay. Passages and doors are very small so you will need to bend down or even crawl to get inside.

The underground mosque is located next to the eponymous canyon – a small oasis in the middle of the desert. Fresh water and shade have attracted people to this place since the Stone Age. In the 8th-9th centuries, the canyon was protected by a fortress, which wasn’t preserved to this day.

Подземная мечеть Султан-Эпе

The defender of seafarers

You’re probably wondering who was the man the mosque owes its name to. During his life, Sultan Epe often helped sailors on the Caspian Sea, which is why he is now called the defender of seafarers and even revered as a saint. According to some researchers, Sultan Epe was the son of Hakim Aga, the famous Central Asian poet and student of Khoja Ahmet Yasawi. Legend has it that Sultan Epe performed many feats: once he revived previously slaughtered bulls and rescued people drowning in the sea.

How to get there?

Sultan Epe Mosque is located 57 km (35 mi) to the east of Fort Shevchenko. Public transport is not available, so you can get there either by car or with a guided tour. If you prefer to travel on your own, you’ll need an SUV to reach the mosque because a large part of the road is not paved.

If you’re driving from the city of Aktau, head north towards the village of Tauchik. Then turn left after you pass the turn to Tauchik. If you’re driving from the opposite side, then turn right between the villages of Kiyakty and Tauchik. The distance between Aktau and the mosque is 149 km (92.5 mi). The road will take you 4.5-5 hours.

The most convenient and stress-free way to visit the Sultan Epe Mosque and other mosques nearby is to book a tour with a travel agency. Their guides will make sure you’ll have a trip of a lifetime.