00:00Five ancient mosques carved into soft sedimentary rock have become Kazakhstan's newest UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
00:06Set in the otherworldly landscapes of Mangustau, they date from the 12th to the 18th centuries.
00:12Together with their surrounding necropolises, they preserve a spiritual heritage shaped by centuries of Sufi tradition and much older beliefs.
00:19Beneath this remote landscape lies one of Central Asia's most remarkable pilgrimage routes.
00:25For centuries, travelers have come here seeking guidance, healing and spiritual renewal.
00:30Welcome to Kazakhstan. This is Modern Nomads.
00:36Five underground mosques bear the names of revered Sufi masters.
00:41Biketata, Shopanata, Karamanata, Shahpagata and Sultan Ipe.
00:44Their spiritual lineage traces back to Khushah Ahmed Yesawi, whose teachings helped spread Islam across the Turkic world.
00:51Local tradition says divine signs guided the masters to where they built their mosques.
00:59Karamanata was a Sufi missionary who came to spread Islam in the region.
01:03His mosque dates back to the 12th or 13th century, while its associated necropolis is one of Mangustau's largest and
01:10oldest.
01:18The sanctuary was more than a place of worship. It was a center of learning and refuge for travelers.
01:23Remembered as a healer, the Sufi master still draws pilgrims seeking spiritual healing today.
01:28We came from the city of Ufa, which is the Republic of Bashkartistan.
01:32We've been here for a long time. We read the Quran, prays, prays, prays, wishes.
01:36People get healing, healing, and many dreams are lost.
01:40One of Mangustau's oldest Sufi sanctuaries is dedicated to the late 12th century mystic Shopanata, revered as the patron saint
01:47of sheep and shepherds.
01:48Once part of an ancient caravan route to Khwarezm, the site remains an important center of Sufi pilgrimage.
01:55We have a place where the temple is located, and we have a place where the temple is located, and
02:02we have a place where the temple is located, and we have a place where the temple is located.
02:07Like many of the region's underground sanctuaries, the mosque contains prayer rooms and chambers illuminated by natural light, some holding
02:14the graves of the Sufi master and his family.
02:21Legend says Shopanata became the spiritual mentor of Beketata, Mangustau's most revered Sufi saint and warrior hero.
02:28Local tradition attributes extraordinary abilities to the 18th century scholar, healer, and architect, including teleportation and levitation.
02:53Long before Beketata, Shakhpahata served for centuries as one of the region's principal Sufi centers.
02:59Carved into a chalk and limestone cliff, the sanctuary is arranged around a central domed hole in the shape of
03:05a cross.
03:06Local traditions say the scholar taught astrology and astronomy, as well as ideas linked to the cosmos.
03:15These are the benefits of our ancestors that have studied years from第一 fan Mary's father.
03:30Some priests may be limited to our cultural Bosel and natal screaming crystal, and we have a place where all
03:35our fathers come from here, and we're about time not to prepare in the territory.
03:41als der Protektor von seafarers.
03:43Dating von zwischen 9 und 13 centuries,
03:45its underground Mosque overlooks
03:47a rare green desert canyon.
03:49According to local tradition,
03:51in this tomb-like cell,
03:53Sufis practiced spiritual rebirth.
03:55Letting go of worldly desires,
03:57drawing closer to the Divine.
03:58I'll try meditating here myself
04:00before the claustrophobia sets in.
04:03For centuries,
04:04these remote sanctuaries
04:05have drawn pilgrims across Mangistal.
04:07Now Kazakhstan and UNESCO
04:09are working to protect and restore them
04:11for generations to come.
04:13In this time,
04:15we need to fix the vizicortal
04:21to the vizicortal.
04:21The road is the vizicortal.
04:24The road is now in Sultanïp,
04:25the village of Sartaj,
04:29and we are in the village of Sartaj.
04:32The road is the road.
04:33The road is the road.
04:34We have no vizicortal to the vizicortal.
04:37We have the vizicortal to the vizicortal.
04:39The five rock-hewn Mosques of Mangistau being added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
04:44are putting the spiritual heritage of Central Asia on the global pilgrimage map,
04:49inviting the world to discover its sacred landscapes.
04:52See you in the next episode of Modern Nomads.
