Mangystau is a region known for its industrial strength, vast oil and gas reserves, and strategic position on the Caspian Sea. Yet the region holds far more than its industrial identity suggests.
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Mangystau is home to Martian-like landscapes, sacred caves, cliffs shaped like frozen waves, and ancient routes of the Great Silk Road.
Today, the region continues a centuries-old tradition of east–west trade. As part of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, it plays a key role in the modern Maritime Silk Road, while offering some of the most remote and untouched natural scenery in Central Asia.
At its heart is Bozjyra – a fossil-covered canyon formed by the long-vanished Tethys Ocean. Its jagged limestone peaks have become a symbol of the region’s dramatic beauty. Nearby stands Beket Ata, an 18th-century underground mosque carved directly into the rock. One of Kazakhstan’s most important pilgrimage sites, it draws visitors from across Central Asia.
Aktau, the region’s main city, balances its Soviet industrial past with a modern seaside charm. Once a closed uranium settlement known as Guryev-20, it now welcomes travellers with its Caspian shoreline.
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