Kazakh Grand Canyon and sacred caves – explore the raw beauty of Mangystau - video Dailymotion

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Kazakh Grand Canyon and sacred caves – explore the raw beauty of Mangystau  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.  In partnership with MDQ  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/07/09/kazakh-grand-canyon-and-sacred-caves-explore-the-raw-beauty-of-mangystau  Spark your senses, wake your wonder. Euronews Culture seeks to show creativity in action and inspire our audience to explore the world through the five senses. Start your journey through the best of Europe's arts, gastronomy, traditions and high-end craftsmanship.

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00:00Oil-rich deserts, underground mosques and landscapes shaped by a vanished ocean – this is western Kazakhstan.

00:10We are in Mangastav, the region at the crossroads of ancient trade and modern development.

00:16At the heart of it lies Akhtav, a city on the Caspian coast now recognized as the cultural capital of the Turkic world.

00:24Mangastav stands locked between centuries. This is the land where history and industry share the same ground.

00:36Welcome to Modern Omats!

00:41For centuries, Mangastav was a route on the Silk Road connecting the East and the West from China to Persia and beyond.

00:49Today, the region is continuing a centuries-old tradition of the East-West trade.

00:56As part of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor, it plays a vital role in the modern maritime Silk Road,

01:02while also offering some of the most unique and untouched natural landscapes in Central Asia.

01:09Mangastav, at the beginning of its development, was planned as an agricultural.

01:14There were many important collection of the wealth.

01:17And the main point was, of course, for oil development.

01:19In terms of the development of tourism, we enter into one of the three of the perspectives of our country.

01:27In terms of the request of the government, we have developed a complex plan.

01:31Where we will develop our natural locations,

01:34we will be building infrastructure, connections and roads for the convenience of our tourists.

01:41Bozharah is one of the region's key landmarks, widely known as the Kazakh Grand Canyon.

01:52Its dramatic cliffs are the remains of the ancient Tassus Ocean, which covered this land

01:57more than 60 million years ago, during the Mesozoic era, and we can still find fossilized

02:03seashells and traces of marine life.

02:06The ocean is long gone, but its imprint remains.

02:17Along the route stands several underground mosques.

02:20The most famous is Beketata.

02:22He was an 18th-century sofi teacher and healer.

02:25Today this site is one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in Kazakhstan.

02:31The trail starts here, about two kilometers downhill, over stones and uneven steps.

02:37No transport, no shortcuts.

02:42The mosque carved into a milestone reveals four main chambers.

02:46Everything was made by hand.

02:48Manqistao is more than an oil-rich region, it's a growing center for tourism.

03:05Manqistao is more than an oil-rich region, it's a growing center for tourism.

03:12Manqistao is more than an oil-rich region.

03:32Akhtau, the region's main city, is located on the Caspian Sea.

03:36In 1959, the Soviet Union turned it into a secret industrial zone known as Yuryev-20.

03:44Uranium was mined here, and the city was chosen for a rare Soviet experiment building a nuclear reactor.

03:52One of the city's most curious landmarks is one of the world's rarest lighthouses,

03:57located directly on the roof of a residential building.

04:01It stands 73 meters above sea level.

04:05The city is a key industrial hub, and Kazakhstan's main seaport connects the country to Azerbaijan,

04:12Iran, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Russia.

04:15We don't have to forget about the air tourism.

04:18There are also a large number of our guests who come here to spend their time.

04:24In principle, the region is very rich not only cultural, natural, but also historical heritage.

04:30We are now doing a work on joining them in the UNESCO list.

04:35Mangastau isn't just a destination, it's where East meets West and where the past still

04:44shapes the present. It's a reminder that history is still here and all around us.

04:50Join us next time as Modern Omnis uncovers new places, people and stories.

Kazakh Grand Canyon and sacred caves – explore the raw beauty of Mangystau

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