Mangistau Region
Kazakhstan Regions

The Treasure Peninsula... This is how people call one of the richest areas of Kazakhstan - Mangistau Region. This land is rich in oil, gas, construction materials, various ores and minerals. It is also true that the present-day Mangistau is called the land of tourism and recreation resources with rich cultural heritage.

One of the most attractive tourist routes in the territory of the preserve is the Journey Along the Great Silk Road stretching across Mangistau region from south to north, and further to northwest, to the Ustyurt Plateau and through the Shetpinskie Gates to the Caspian coast. This is the place where the trans-ship ment of cargoes from land to sea and vice versa was performed. Revival of caravan trade facilitated development of towns (Sary- tash, Ketyk, Kabakly, Alta and Sherkala). Kabakly and Karagan wharves were actively trading with Russia until the 17^th century.

To the north of Kyzan, on the bank of the Dead kultuk an an cient burial place was found. It presumably dates back to the 4-5^th centuries BC. Experts admit that this discovery may provide new data on ancient peoples of the Sacae-Massaget Age who were leading nomad's life in that area.

Within a few kilometers from Akmyshsai spread the scenic Samal and Sazanbai gorges. The Akmysh area located 18 km from Shetpe attracts tourists not only with its beauty but also with historical memorials of ancient town of Kzyl-Kala.

The Karagie Depression (The Black Maw) is the lowest point in Kazakhstan and the territory of the former So viet Union (132 m below sea level.) It is remarkable for its unique beauty. Among the numerous attractions of Mangyshlak peninsula there are such as: the Tamshaly Springs (the Jolly Droplets), the Shetpinskie Gates on the Silk Road, the legendary sacred Mt. Sherkala neighboring the ruins of the for­tress of Genghis Khan's son - Dzhuchi, lake Saura, the Mangis tau mountains, the deep and long canyon of the Karazhao river, the Kulandag mountains located on the eastern coast of the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay, Zhosaly Hill and the "Devil's Finger" in the Blue Bay.

Fort Shevchenko. Irgiz. The friendship between Kazakh and Ukrain peoples began in the remote past. One of the brightest events of it was the life of the great Ukrain poet Taras Shevchenko in kazakh land in the mid of 19^th century. Also the great kazakh composer Kurmangazy came here and composed the famous kui "Adai". It might be possible that Kurmangazy and Shevchenko had met each other. The English resident in Persia and Afganistan James Abbot visited 10 years ago before Shevchenko came here these places.

The kazakh hero Suiunkara Urgeshbayev with his sons and relatives arrested the English scout and handed him to Orenburg authorities. They thought that the scout came here with something in his mind. Shevchenko also visited Chelkar - is interesting with its monuments of the past. On November 11 in 1918 the kazakh revolutionary Alibi Dzhangildin also visited this town. The evidence of it is the memorial board on the Lenina Street. The kazakh soviet composer and musician Akhmed Zhubanov had lived here. In the Sarybulak village of Chelkar district the overgrave monument dedicated to Eset Kotyrbayev and his son Daribai the gallant comrades-in-arms of Taimanov I. The caravan way from Russia to Bukhara and Khiva used to pass here.

Mangistau Region has several reserved areas. One of them is the Ustyurt National Biosphere Preserve. The area of 70,000 hectares is a secure habitat for many rare animals, such as: Ustyurt moufflon, saiga, jeiran, jackal, fox, long-quilled hedgehog, pole cat and others. According to the locals, the Kaplankyr Natural Preserve is home to cheetah. Other national zoological preserves - the Aktau-Buzachi and Karagie-Karakol preserves also have a variety of animals.

Aktau (fotmer Shevchenko). In 1963 the Aktau settlement got the status of the town. The unique warming up oil pipeline is installed here. The galleries of rock carvings of the epoch of nomads (10-2^th cent. BC) were found on a great lumps in the heart of peninsula, also necropolis with overgrave structures decorated by composite ornament were found here. Two old underground mosques built thousands years ago were found near the Ungazy mountain. The most interesting of these mosques is Shahbagota mosque, because Islam banned to portray people or theirs parts of bodies, nevertheless in the walls of this mosque with the flowers of lotus the portrayal of man's palm is portrayed.

The population of this town is 175000 people. It is one of the perspective towns of the South-West Kazakhstan, built in 1960s of 20^th century on Mangyshlak peninsula. It is the center of oil and gas industry and the Caspian seaport.

The only nuclear power station of the country is built not far from town with distilling installation. The interesting places: underground mosques (10-12^th cc.), necropolis (9-19^th cc.) in the territory of which there are many stone statues, Beket-Ata necropol, mausoleums, excavations of Kuskuduk (the ancient settlement in the territory of Kazakhstan), the territory of the ancient town Kzyl-Kalda (10-12^th cc.), the town Fort-Shevchenko (building was began in 18^th c.), Karagie hollow is to 132 m lower of the ocean's level and the 3^rd deep hollow in the world, Mangystau desert, Caspian Sea.

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information is taken from CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"