Mangyshlak is a peninsula beloved by historians, geologists and ordinary travelers. The landscapes here are reminiscent of Martian - at least shoot films based on the stories of R. Bradbury. Everywhere you look is a rocky desert. But at the same time, archaeologists find numerous traces of human presence - from the time of the Paleolithic. Mangyshlak is shrouded in secrets, including geological ones. There are cave mosques, Zoroastrian temples, medieval dilapidated tombs.
The history of Peter the Great's grand plan is connected with the Mangyshlak Peninsula, which, fortunately, did not materialize. A traveler on an SUV has an advantage over an ordinary tourist: there are no excursions to these mysterious and wild places. In this article, we will talk about some of the sights of the Mangyshlak Peninsula, backing up the description with photographs. We hope you enjoy seeing them for yourself.
Where is locatedMangyshlak
The peninsula is located in western Kazakhstan, on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. This is a fairly large area. It is occupied by the whole Mangistau region of Kazakhstan. This geographical feature, deeply protruding into the Caspian Sea, has its own peninsulas. In the north it is Buzachi, and in the west - Tyub-Karagan. Mangyshlak is washed by the waters of the Kazakh Gulf in the south. And in the north, the Buzachi peninsula makes a bend towards the mainland. Thus, a small bay is formed, called the Dead Kultuk, and a very narrow water area Kaydak.
Since the beginning of the independence of the state of Kazakhstan, Mangyshlak (peninsula) has been renamed. The former name of Mangistau was returned to him. Translated from Kazakh, it means "a thousand winter quarters." The capital of the Mangistau region is the city of Aktau. During Soviet times, it was called Fort Shevchenko, because a famous Ukrainian poet, writer and artist was serving hard labor in these places.
Why is the desert here
The geology of the Mangyshlak Peninsula allows us to define it (at least in the northern part) as a continuation of the Caspian lowland. This area is incredibly rich in minerals. About a quarter of all oil in Kazakhstan is produced here. But the main we alth of Mangistau is uranium ores. It is known that a long time ago the peninsula was covered not with desert, but with green meadows. The large river Uzboy flowed here, flowing into the Caspian. But the change in the channel and the sharply continental climate led to the fact that the lush vegetation withered away, giving way to desert landscapes. On Mangyshlakharsh winters with blizzards. And in the summer, the thermometer jumps to seventy degrees!
Geological mystery
Nevertheless, the Mangyshlak peninsula is rich in healing mineral waters - sodium, chloride, bromine and others. In terms of chemical composition, these springs are similar to those of Feodosiya and Matsesta. There are also thermal springs, reminiscent of those that are beaten in Kamchatka. Where does so much underground water come from in such an arid place? The secret is simple. The sands of Tuyesu, Bostankum and Sengirkum stretch across the territory of the Mangistau peninsula from north to south for many hundreds of kilometers. There are also huge depressions. The sand that has filled them since the retreat of the Caspian plays the role of a sponge. It absorbs precipitation, very little, and retains fresh water, preventing it from evaporating. Such reservoirs are enriched with mineral s alts of rocks. The presence of numerous healing springs suggests that over time, balneological resorts will develop here.
Peter the Great and Mangyshlak
In the early eighteenth century, the reformer tsar came up with the idea of building a waterway from Russia to India. It was supposed to pass along the Volga, the Caspian, the Amu Darya and the Pyanj. Therefore, in the spring of 1715, a two thousandth detachment was sent, led by Captain Bekovich-Cherkassky. His goal was to reveal the bed of the dead river Uzboy, which once flowed through Mangyshlak. The peninsula met the soldiers very inhospitably. Less than half of the detachment returned. But Peter the Great was inexorable. He again sent Bekovich-Cherkassky to him, this timethe last mission. The Khan of Shir-Gaza was skeptical about the crazy idea to turn the course of the Amu Darya to the west, so that it would occupy the empty channel of the Uzboy and flow into the Caspian Sea. In addition, the presence of Russians in his kingdom also did not bode well. The detachment lured to Khiva disappeared without a trace.
Nature of Mangyshlak
She is truly harsh. But nevertheless, the Martian landscapes, for which the plateau of the same name on the Mangyshlak Peninsula is especially famous, attract hundreds of brave travelers. Nature here just seems lifeless. In fact, the peninsula is inhabited by about two hundred species of animals and almost three hundred species of plants. In the waters of the Caspian Sea, off the coast of Mangyshlak, a seal is found. In the shallow waters you can see flocks of flamingos. Other inhabitants of the peninsula include cheetah, white-bellied arrowhead, four-stripe snake, honey badger, sand cat, manul, caracal, goitered gazelle, Ustyur mouflon, bustard, eagle owl, golden eagle, steppe eagle, vulture, peregrine falcon. Many species of these animals are listed in the Red Book.
Mangyshlak Peninsula: Attractions
The ancient necropolises look like abandoned cities, lost in the desert: Sultan-Epe, Kenty-Baba, Beket-Ata. Some memorials date from the Early Middle Ages, others were erected in the eighteenth century and were used as a cemetery until the twentieth century.
Tourists love to look at rock paintings, which depict camels, horses, plantsornaments interspersed with Arabic script and Zoroastrian symbols. The tomb of a holy Sufi and the underground mosque Beket-Ata are especially popular. Tourists also climb to the top of Mount Otpan, where the signal tower of the ancient Kazakhs once stood. Now a memorial has been built there, recreating the forms of this stronghold. Among other attractions of the peninsula, tourists often visit the Shakpak-Ata cave mosque.
Natural attractions-mysteries
At the very foot of the Karatau mountains is the Karagie depression. Its bottom is one hundred and thirty-two meters below the level of the World Ocean and approximately one hundred meters below the Caspian Sea. The depression is huge - fifty by thirty kilometers, and its origin is still inexplicable. What is it: an ancient meteorite impact site?
Resembling the Karagiye depression is the Zhygylgan depression. Its dimensions are somewhat more modest - ten kilometers, but the outlines are an almost perfect circle. The depression is filled with remnant rocks, which from a distance resemble the ruins of ancient castles. Of the other natural attractions that the Mangyshlak Peninsula is famous for, photos often capture the "chalk mountains" of Northern Aktau and the lonely Sherkala rock.
