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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.

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READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/07/09/kazakh-grand-canyon-and-sacred-caves-explore-the-raw-beauty-of-mangystau

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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.

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