Geometry of Silence | Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan

Southwest Kazakhstan, called Mangystau, is a land of vast, wind-whipped deserts and stunning limestone mountains that form the bottom of deep depression basins. The area boasts an unparalleled variety of desert landscapes and geological wonders, making it a hidden surprise of a truly extraterrestrial character, in a remote Kazakh corner.

At first glance, it may appear as a remote desert wilderness, but take a closer look and you’ll see something more profound: a vast, natural geometry curved by time, offering a journey not just across space, but deep into Earth’s prehistoric past.

Here, the nature played an inspired architect and created colorful canyons, peaks and towers, which are translated today into rainbow castles, yurt mountains or tiramisu valleys. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by fields of limestone concretions and fossils of ancient sea creatures. These fossils provide evidence of the region's connection to the prehistoric sea, housing remnants of fish, sponges, corals, and even whales. You are standing at the shores of Sarmatian Sea, remnants of the prehistoric Tethys Ocean, and the Paratethys, that 250 to 50 million years ago covered the Caspian and Black Seas, to the Aral Lake.

Mangystau is also known for its sacred places, making it famous in the region. What sets the local mosques apart is that they don't resemble typical Muslim temples with domed roofs and minarets. Instead, their facades are predominantly shaped by nature, showing little evidence of human interference.

Today, standing on the ancient seabed under a wide Kazakh sky, it’s hard not to feel both humbled and awed. Where forms has been sculpted into infinity, there is no need for sound. Desert speaks directly to your soul, through its vast and timeless geometry.

[See the clip here](https://vimeo.com/1015662135?share=copy)

Let’s go!

DAY 1 // Tuesday Direct flight to Aktau. Arrival, immigration clearance and check-in to hotel. Rest of the evening at leisure.

Day 2 // Wednesday We will kick start our 4WD expedition into wilderness with Kapamsay Canyon - chalk oasis of white cliffs standing against the azure sky. In fact it’s a bottom of a dry riverbed\, an amazing hideout with rare but resilient plants.

Further on we continue to Shakpaktysai Canyon where will visit first the underground mosque Shakpak-Ata. The underground mosque is carved into a chalky rock mountain. It is known that Sufis who once lived in this cave practiced healing rituals. They helped people who came here seeking a cure for their illnesses. To do this, the sick person was left in the cave overnight. It was believed that during the night, a benevolent spirit would visit the sick person and drive the illness away. Even today, people continue to come here with the hope of being healed.

On our list of curiosities of the day, next one is Valley of Balls in Torysh.

The stone formations of Torysh stretch for hundreds of kilometers on both sides of the hills, creating a unique landscape. Where the rock layers were broken vertically, long ridges made of stones of different sizes were formed. Where the layers were broken horizontally, the stones formed fields filled with round shapes that look like balls, eggs, mushrooms, UFOs, cylinders, nesting dolls, and even animals.

Such unusual and imaginative stone fields can be found in the area of Torysh.

We continue to Sherkala rock, which was once a fortress of the eldest son of Genghis Khan, Jochi. This legendary place was built in the Middle Ages, to secure the paths of Great Silk Way. “Sherkala” – by the translation from Turkmen language means “lion fortress” (“sher” – lion, “kala” – fortress).

Time to wrap up and head to our camp for a night in yurts.

DAY 3 // Thursday Today we are set to explore Sor Tuzbair, salt flats desert with chalky hills and limestone cliffs. After rain the salt flats transform into a reflective surface mirroring the sky and the nearby dazzling white cliffs. This sight will stun even…