Mangystau
Mangystau (the Mangyshlak peninsula) is a land of fantastic landscapes where you can feel like you are on Mars or at the bottom of the sea – which, millions of years ago, is exactly where you would have been. With underground mosques cut into the rock, white chalk canyons and fields of giant stone balls, it looks like the set of a fantasy film. Mangystau lies in the south-west of Kazakhstan, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, next to the borders of Uzbekistan in the east and Turkmenistan in the south. It has become the rising star of Kazakhstan’s tourism, and most visitors see it on one of our Mangystau tours from Aktau.
Between the 5th and 14th centuries the Caspian Sea was lower than it is today, and caravans crossed Mangystau on the shortest route to Itil on the Volga. The remains of old caravanserais can still be seen next to the watering holes that form green islands in the otherwise barren landscape.
Mangystau is very dry, with too little fresh water for most plants, so only low vegetation grows here and most of the peninsula is uninhabited. The Mangystau region covers about 165,600 km² and has a little over 820,000 people (2026) – only about 5 people per km², most of them in Aktau and Zhanaozen. The region is rich in minerals and is called the “treasure peninsula”: it is one of Kazakhstan’s main oil regions, and the uranium found here in the 1950s gave birth to the city of Aktau. Mangystau also holds many places of pilgrimage – mausoleums, necropolises and underground mosques, the rock-cut rooms where famous Sufi teachers of the past lived and prayed.
Mangystau is a place for people who enjoy geology, but nature lovers will find plenty too: rich bird life on the Caspian shore, and fossils of the sea creatures that lived here when the area was a seabed. The sights lie far apart, so you spend much of the day driving from one to the next – but the views on the way are an experience in themselves.
Mangystau at a glance
- Where: the desert peninsula on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, in western Kazakhstan. Every trip starts in Aktau.
- Highlights: the “fangs” of Bozzhyra, the stone balls of Torysh, Sherkala, the Tuzbair salt flat, the Kyzylkup “tiramisu” hills and the UNESCO-listed rock mosques.
- Time needed: 2 days for the essentials, 4–5 days to see most of it, 7–8 days with Zhygylgan, Shakpak-Ata and the Karynzharyk depression.
- Best time: April to early June, and September–October.
- Getting around: by 4×4 with a driver who knows the tracks; there are no signposts and often no phone signal at the remote sites.
- Visa: citizens of the EU, the UK and the US can visit Kazakhstan visa-free for 30 days.
Tours visiting Mangystau
All our Mangystau tours start in Aktau and travel by 4×4 with a local driver: from 2-day jeep tours to Tuzbair, Kyzylkup and Bozzhyra to 7- and 8-day trips that add Zhygylgan, Shakpak-Ata and the Karynzharyk depression. Most nights are spent in tents in the desert. Compare them on our Mangystau tours page.
Mangystau 4 day group tour
Torysh's stone balls, Sherkala, Airakty, the Tuzbair salt flat, Kyzylkup and a camp beneath the fangs of Bozjyra.
Ultimate Mangystau 2 Days Jeep Tour
Ybykty Sai Canyon, the Karaman-Ata underground mosque, Tuzbair at sunset, a night in tents, Kyzylkup and Bozjyra.
Mangistau 7 days tour
19 sights of Mangystau: Kapamsay Canyon, the cave mosques, Torysh, Airakty, Tuzbair, the Bozjyra fangs and Kyzylkup.
Mangistau day tour
A day by 4x4 on one of two routes: Kyzylkup and Bozjyra, or Torysh, Kokala, Sherkala and Airakty.
Mangistau – Karynzharyk Tour
A 4x4 camping expedition: Shakpak-Ata, Torysh, Sherkala, Tuzbair, the Karynzharyk Depression and the Bozjyra Fangs.
Jeep tour to Mangystau (from Aktau)
Ybyk Gorge, the Karaman-Ata underground mosque, a tent night at Kyzylkup, Bokty Mountain and the fangs of Bozjyra.
Mangystau photo tour
Photograph 31 sights at your own pace: Torysh, Kyzylkup, the Ustyurt Plateau and a camp beneath the Bozjyra Fangs.
Unforgettable 3 days in Mangystau Tour
Two nights in tents: Akespe's white cliffs, Torysh, Kokala, Airakty, Kyzylkup Canyon and the limestone fangs of Bozjyra.
Through the dried Tethys Ocean – 5 days Mangystau tour
Camping on the floor of the dried Tethys Ocean: Torysh, Sherkala, Airakty, the Tuzbair salt flat, Bozjyra and Kyzylkup.
Mangystau sights
Table of Contents
Sherkala Mountain
Sherkala rises to 332 m above sea level, about 180 km (3 hours) by road from Aktau. Locals call it “God’s yurt”: from one side it looks like a giant yurt, while from another it resembles a resting lion – the name means “lion fortress”. It is the best-known sight of Mangystau, and walking all the way around it can take about half a day, as the mountain looks different from every side. Many legends are told about it. According to one, a group of warriors defended themselves on the summit against a huge army. They fought like lions, but when they began to lose they hid in the mountain’s underground passages and stayed in its womb forever. On the northern side are the remains of an ancient settlement: small man-made grottoes, with the approaches once guarded by a wall of cobblestones.
Not far from Sherkala mountain, you can see the remains of an ancient city. Once it stood on one of the branches of the Silk Road that passed through the peninsula.
Caravan routes went from Bukhara and Khiva to the Caspian Sea and merchants reached Europe by sea or further land routes. The history of the appearance and disappearance of this settlement has not yet been revealed, but scientists believe that it was a rather rich city and do not exclude that many valuable finds are still hidden in these places.
Bozzhyra (Boszhira)
Bozzhyra (also written Boszhira or Bozjyra) is a wide valley of sharp white peaks shining in the sun. Its rock layers were laid down 40–100 million years ago, when this was the floor of the Tethys Ocean, and the changing sea level and later erosion carved them into the landscape you see today. White stones and the remains of sea creatures are scattered across the valley, and all around are white canyons, peaks and towers shaped like castles and yurts. Its best-known sight is a pair of pointed rocks known as the “fangs”. Bozzhyra lies on the western edge of the Ustyurt plateau, about 300 km (5–6 hours) from Aktau, and every one of our Mangystau tours goes there. Read our Bozzhyra guide for the viewpoints, the road and the 2026 park fees.
Mangyshlak's rock mosques (UNESCO World Heritage)
Mangystau has so many cemeteries, underground mosques and places of pilgrimage that it is seen as a holy land within Kazakhstan. In July 2026 UNESCO added the “Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau” to the World Heritage List: the underground mosques of Beket-Ata, Shopan-Ata, Karaman-Ata, Shakpak-Ata and Sultan-Epe. They are cut into the rock, each is linked to the tomb of a saint and a large cemetery, and all are still active pilgrimage sites.
Dress modestly (women cover their heads), keep your voice down, avoid taking photos inside Beket-Ata (ask the caretakers) and follow your guide’s lead. Karaman-Ata is on our 2-day jeep tours and on the 5-, 7- and 8-day tours, and Shakpak-Ata on the 7- and 8-day tours. None of our tours visits Beket-Ata yet, but ask us about adding it.
There are around 15–20 underground mosques on the peninsula, all connected with the graves of local Sufi saints – legend says 362 saints are buried in the region, almost one for every day of the year – and the cemeteries around them date from the 9th to the 19th century. From west to east, the best-known are Shakpak-Ata, Sultan-Epe, Karaman-Ata, Shopan-Ata and Beket-Ata. The oldest go back to the 9th–10th century, and over the centuries they were used by a succession of peoples: the Khazars, Oghuz, Kipchaks, the Golden Horde, the Nogai Horde and the Kazakhs.
Shakpak Ata Underground Mosque
The Shakpak-Ata mosque is cut into the cliffs at the north-western tip of the Tupkaragan peninsula, about 130 km (2 hours) by road north of Aktau. It dates back to the 9th–10th century and is considered the oldest in Mangyshlak. Its cross-shaped plan is unique on the peninsula and resembles some early Persian mosques and the mausoleum-mosque of Shir-Kabir in Dehistan, Turkmenistan, from the same era. Large parts of its walls are covered with old carvings and graffiti.
Legend says that Shakpak-Ata was the grandson of Shopan-Ata. He was an ascetic dervish who took refuge in the cave with his disciples at a time when enemies were assaulting the region.
He spent the last years of his life as a hermit never leaving the cave. It is also said that the ancient Sufi masters gave asylum to sick people in their underground shelters to heal them and that even today a night spent in these caves in the company of benevolent spirits will cure most diseases.
Beket-Ata Underground Mosque
The Beket-Ata underground mosque is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Kazakhstan. Beket-Ata (about 1750–1813) was a revered Sufi teacher and philosopher who spread Islam and taught the people of the steppe. He built several mosques in the region, but this underground sanctuary, carved into the limestone cliffs where he is buried, is the most important. It lies about 285 km east of Aktau, a 5-hour drive.
The mosque is nestled in the remote Oglandy Valley, surrounded by stunning desert landscapes and rocky formations.
Pilgrims and visitors must descend a winding path to reach the sacred site, where a peaceful atmosphere fills the ancient chambers. Many believe the mosque holds spiritual power, and people visit to pray, seek blessings, and pay respects at Beket-Ata’s final resting place.
A journey to Beket-Ata is not just a physical trip but also a spiritual experience. The site attracts believers, historians, and travelers drawn by its deep history, breathtaking scenery, and the legend of Beket-Ata, who remains a symbol of faith and enlightenment in Kazakhstan.
Karaman-Ata Underground Mosque
The Karaman-Ata underground mosque is carved into a hillside next to a large old necropolis. It is named after Karaman-Ata, a revered Sufi teacher who is believed to have lived here centuries ago and helped spread Islam across the steppe. Inside, simple interconnected rooms with small niches are cut into the soft limestone; the air is cool and quiet, a world away from the ornate mosques of the cities.
Underground mosques like this gave Sufi teachers and pilgrims shelter from persecution and the harsh climate, and the solitude of the desert suited a life of contemplation. Karaman-Ata is still a pilgrimage site and one of the five rock mosques on the UNESCO list. It lies on the way from Aktau to Tuzbair and Bozzhyra, so many of our tours stop here.
Kenty Baba and Khanga Baba Necropolises
Besides its underground mosques, Mangystau is famous for its necropolises – vast old cemeteries of the Adai Kazakhs and earlier nomads, where generations were buried around the grave of a revered saint. The tombstones are carved from the soft local limestone in shapes found almost nowhere else: koitas, stones shaped like a ram, sandyktas, chest-like tombs, and kulpytas, tall stelae decorated with ornaments, Arabic inscriptions and images of weapons, horses and household items that tell who the deceased was.
Kenty Baba lies in the foothills of the Karatau ridge, close to Kapamsay canyon and the Shakpak Ata mosque, and is one of the most picturesque necropolises of the peninsula, with mausoleums and carved stones standing in the open steppe. Khanga Baba, further west towards the Tupkaragan peninsula, grew around the tomb of the saint it is named after and has a large field of old carved tombstones.
Both are still revered places, so dress modestly, walk quietly and avoid stepping on the graves. They are usually visited on the first day of tours heading from Aktau towards Shakpak Ata and the Zhygylgan fault.
Torysh Balls Valley
Peculiar round stones (Devil's balls)
The Valley of Balls, Torysh in Kazakh, lies about 110 km north-east of Aktau, near the village of Shetpe. It is covered with round stones that look as if giants had rolled them out of clay – some call them the devil’s balls. They are scattered across a wide stretch of steppe and range from marble-sized pebbles to boulders as big as a car. Legend says that when Mangystau suffered countless enemy attacks, the locals prayed to the heavens for help, and the invaders were turned into stone. Most geologists say the balls are giant concretions, probably formed between the mid-Jurassic and the early Cretaceous (180–120 million years ago), when minerals cemented sand around a core – the word comes from the Latin “concretio”, thickening. Fringe theories call them meteorites or the work of extraterrestrials.
Akespe Canyon
Just a few kilometres from the Torysh Valley of Balls lies Akespe, a quiet gorge cut into white and cream-coloured limestone. Wind and the rare desert rainstorms have shaped its walls into ledges, niches and overhangs, and from the rim there are wide views over the surrounding steppe towards the Karatau ridge.
Akespe is usually combined with Torysh, Kokala and Sherkala on the same day, as they all lie in the same corner of Mangystau. A short walk along the canyon floor or its edge is enough to reach the best viewpoints, and the white rock is especially photogenic in the soft light of the late afternoon.
Kokala Jurassic clays
The Kokala tract lies between the Western Karatau and Northern Aktau ridges, near the village of Shayyr and Mount Zhalgan and just south of Sherkala – about 170–180 km by road from Aktau, so it is usually seen on the same day as Sherkala. Kokala is famous for its washed-out hills of brightly coloured clay. When the Karatau fold rose from the depths, it lifted layers that had been buried under ocean sediments, revealing clays from the Jurassic period, about 170–200 million years ago. Erosion has shaped them into a small labyrinth of hummocks, columns, mushrooms, pyramids and miniature canyons – a burst of colour among the monotone rocky hills of Mangystau. You won’t find dinosaur bones here, but you can touch real charcoal from a burnt forest where dinosaurs once roamed.
Airakty Valley of Castles
Airakty-Shomanai or simply Airakty is a system of remnant mountains on Mangystau. They became known under the name “Valley of castles of
Airakty” thanks to the drawings of the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. The surroundings of Airakty resemble a mysterious desert city with ruined remnants that look like towers and castles with spires. It is recommended to climb the mountain and get a better view of the terrain from a flat platform. You can also see the Aktau Mountains from it. Walking along the path to the site, you can meet steppe horses and mouflons, and at the foot of the mountain – scorpions and tortoises.
Like Bozzhyra, the Airakty mountains were once covered by the Tethys Ocean. After the sea retreated, wind and rain eroded the soft Cretaceous rock into canyons, remnant hills and caves, and the landscape is still changing: the remnant mountains lose a little height every year. From the end of the 6th century, caravans of the Great Silk Road passed through Mangystau, and local legends say treasure is still hidden in the valley.
Tuzbair salt flat
The main sight of Tuzbair is the salt flat of the same name, about 270 km (4–5 hours) from Aktau. In Kazakh it is called a “sor”: a shallow salt marsh with no outflow, formed in a depression no more than one and a half metres deep. After the spring thaw the salt flat is covered with water that mirrors the sky. In summer the crust dries out and you can walk on it, though your feet may still break through into salty water 10–15 cm deep, so wear rubber boots or other high waterproof shoes, or go barefoot. Some visitors believe the warm salt crust is good for the body. Never drive onto the salt flat: the crust can’t take the weight of even a passenger car, and every year cars get stuck in it.
You can drive here only with local drivers who know the safe tracks. Today’s Mangystau was once the floor of the Tethys Ocean, which lay between the supercontinents of Laurasia and Gondwana; the white rocks around Tuzbair were laid down in it some 40–100 million years ago, and shark teeth are still sometimes found in the valley. As the water receded, wind and rain shaped the soft rock into the chalk cliffs, plateaus, gorges and ravines around the salt flat.
Ybykty Sai
Ybykty Sai (also called the Ybyk or Porous Gorge) is a dry canyon whose rock is full of holes and hollows carved by wind and water. Its towering cliffs and narrow passages show layers of sedimentary rock from pale white and yellow to red and brown, shaped into sharp ridges, pillars and small natural arches.
Ybykty Sai sees few visitors, so it is a quiet place for a walk and photos. It lies on the way from Aktau towards Tuzbair and Bozzhyra and is usually combined with the Karaman-Ata mosque on the first day of a tour.
Kyzylkup Tract
Kyzylkup is a range of smooth, low hills striped in alternating colours, about 250 km (4–5 hours) from Aktau. The white layers are chalk and the red ones contain iron, and the layered look has earned it the nickname “tiramisu”. Like the rest of Mangystau, it was once the floor of the Tethys Ocean, where clay, sand and the remains of sea creatures piled up layer by layer. The colours change through the day: snow-white in the midday sun, creamy in the evening and purple at sunset. Kyzylkup is usually visited on the way to Bozzhyra, and sunrise and sunset give the best light for photos.
Bokty Mountain
A few kilometres south of the Kyzylkup tract rises Bokty, one of the most recognisable landmarks of southern Mangystau. The mountain has an almost perfect pyramid shape and is striped in layers of white, pink and ochre – sediments of the ancient Tethys Ocean, the same layers you can follow across the “tiramisu” slopes of Kyzylkup.
Standing alone above the flat steppe, Bokty can be seen from far away and makes a natural stop on the way between Kyzylkup and Bozjyra. The colours of its stripes are strongest at sunrise and sunset, viewed from the surrounding hills. Like the rest of the area, Bokty can only be reached by 4×4 on unpaved tracks, usually as part of a guided tour.
Zhygylgan – the Fallen Earth
Zhygylgan, the “Fallen Earth”, is a huge depression where part of a limestone plateau collapsed, on the eastern Caspian shore about 110 km north of Aktau. The collapsed area is more than 2 km wide and about 4 km long: a chaos of huge boulders, broken rock slabs, caves and small canyons below steep cliffs, with the flat desert all around. Some of the rocks bear the footprints of ancient animals (see the history section below), and local legends tell of battles and giants. A viewing platform opened above the depression in June 2026. Zhygylgan is on our 7- and 8-day tours.
Karynzharyk Depression
The Karynzharyk depression is a vast landscape of salt flats and white chalk cliffs on the south-western edge of the Ustyurt plateau, inside the Ustyurt State Nature Reserve. It drops to about 75 m below sea level, one of the lowest points in the region. At its heart lies a huge salt pan, usually dry and shimmering in the sun, which turns into a shallow lake after rain.
Five isolated buttes rise from the flat salt plain – the “islands of Karynzharyk” – and seen from the rim they seem to float on the salt. Since June 2026 visitors may not walk down onto the salt flat; you see it from the designated viewing points on the rim. Karynzharyk is on our 8-day Mangistau – Karynzharyk Tour.
Why you need a 4x4 and an experienced driver
The best sights of Mangystau lie down unmarked dirt tracks: the last stretch to the Bozzhyra fangs, the salt flats around Tuzbair that can trap a car after rain, and long distances with no phone signal and no one to ask the way. A local driver knows the tracks, the camps, the park rules at each site and what to do when the weather turns, so you can concentrate on the views.
How many days do you need?
- 1 day: enough for Torysh, Sherkala and Airakty, or – on a very long day – Kyzylkup and Bozzhyra.
- 2 days: Ybykty Sai, Karaman-Ata, Tuzbair, Kyzylkup and Bozzhyra, with a night in a tent camp.
- 3–4 days: adds the northern loop of Akespe, Torysh, Kokala, Sherkala and Airakty; the 4-day tour also adds Tuzbair and a night in a yurt camp.
- 5 days: more time at Bozzhyra, plus Karaman-Ata, the Ybyk gorge and the Shakpaktysai canyon viewpoint.
- 7–8 days: adds Zhygylgan, Shakpak-Ata, the Kapamsay canyon and a rest day at a yurt camp; the 8-day tour also reaches the Karynzharyk depression.
Our Mangystau 4 day group tour covers Torysh, Sherkala, Airakty, Tuzbair, Kyzylkup and Bozzhyra. Short on time? The Ultimate Mangystau 2 Days Jeep Tour goes from Aktau via Ybykty Sai and Karaman-Ata to Tuzbair, Kyzylkup and Bozzhyra, and the private Mangistau day tour fits the highlights into a single day. See all Mangystau tours.
Distances from Aktau
| Sight | Distance by road | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Torysh | about 110 km | 1.5–2 h |
| Zhygylgan | about 110 km | 2 h |
| Shakpak-Ata | about 130 km | 2 h |
| Sherkala and Kokala | about 180 km | 3 h |
| Airakty | about 180 km | 3 h |
| Kyzylkup | about 250 km | 4–5 h |
| Tuzbair | about 270 km | 4–5 h |
| Beket-Ata | about 285 km | 5 h |
| Bozzhyra | about 300 km | 5–6 h |
Times are for a 4×4 without stops; the last part of most routes is on dirt tracks.
Best time to visit Mangystau
April to early June and September–October are the best months: the days are warm and the nights cool enough for camping. Summer is often above 35–40 °C, and winter is cold and windy. In spring you have the best chance of seeing the Tuzbair salt flat covered with water that mirrors the sky.
Where you sleep
On our tours you sleep mostly in tents at desert camps – below the Bozzhyra fangs, at Airakty, Tuzbair or Kyzylkup – and the 4-, 5-, 7- and 8-day tours also include a night in a yurt camp. There are no hotels near the remote sights, so a night in Aktau before or after the tour is a good idea.
Park fees (new in 2026)
Since 1 September 2026 the Kyzylsai nature park, which covers Bozzhyra, Tuzbair, Kyzylkup and Bokty, charges 865 tenge per person per day for its trails, about 433 tenge per person per day for camping and about 3,028 tenge per car per day, and foreign visitors pay double. Children under 6 and pensioners go free, children aged 6–17 pay half, and the fees are paid through the Halyk bank app. Commercial photo and video shoots pay extra, and drones are not allowed in the park. Check the inclusions of each tour, or ask us whether the park fees are included.
Mangystau History
Mangystau’s landscapes were born on the floor of the Tethys Ocean. In the limestone of Bozzhyra and Airakty you can still see shells and other marine life, some of it more than 200 km from today’s Caspian shore, and fossils of prehistoric sharks and ichthyosaurs have been found here. In the Zhygylgan depression there are footprints of predatory mammals and birds from the Miocene epoch.
Finds near the Caspian coast, for example around Shakpak-Ata and on Kulaly Island, show that people have lived here since the Stone Age. Branches of the Silk Road crossed Mangystau, as the ruins of caravanserais, fortresses and mosques show. The Arab geographer Al-Istakhri mentioned the land in the 10th century as Siyah-Kuh, “Black Mountain”, but after Genghis Khan’s invasion the route was abandoned. In the 19th century Russia built a fort here for its expeditions into Central Asia; it was later named Fort-Shevchenko after the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who served there in exile. In the 20th century oil, gas and uranium were found, and the city of Aktau grew up around them.
Mangystau FAQ
Is Mangystau safe?
Yes. The region is calm and the people are welcoming. The real risks are the summer heat, getting lost or stuck on the desert tracks and the edges of cliffs, which is why we travel with experienced local drivers.
Are there toilets and showers on tour?
Expect basic conditions: toilets at the desert camps are simple and nature-friendly, and there is no water at the remote sights. On our tours you get wet towels, an optional mobile camping shower for the group and short shower stops at places such as the yurt camp, the Tuzbair lunch stop and Zhanaozen.
Is there phone signal?
In Aktau, Zhanaozen and the villages, yes. At most remote sights, including Bozzhyra and Tuzbair, there is little or none.
How fit do I need to be?
Normal fitness is enough. Most of the day is spent in the car, with short walks on uneven ground to viewpoints and along canyon floors.
Can I do it as a day trip from Aktau?
Torysh, Sherkala and Airakty, or Shakpak-Ata, work as day trips. Bozzhyra, Kyzylkup and Tuzbair are 250–300 km away, so plan at least one night – or a very long day on our private day tour.
Other sights near Mangystau
Written by Anssi Karppinen, Central Asia Guide · Page updated