Richard And Jo Demeester's photos with the keyword: Shokpak Ata

Inside Shokpak Ata in west Kazakhstan

14 Sep 2022 53
The glass at the entrance is a twentieth century addition to protect the cave, but other than that it is just a natural cave which has been enlarged and shaped. Inside, no man made items exist other than a few beautiful hand made carpets.

Etched Wishes and Prayers

14 Sep 2022 45
The age of these requests are unknown, scratched in to the walls of Shokpak Ata cave mosque.

Approach to Shokpak Ata

14 Sep 2022 49
Shokpak Ata is a cave mosque, where a Sufi monk lived and taught over 1000 years ago. Shokpak was the name given to him because of his legendary ability to create fire by snapping his fingers. Shokpak is the local word for the sound of two rocks striking a spark.

Graves Near Shokpak Ata

14 Sep 2022 53
Shokpak Ata is a holy site in western Kazakhstan. For about a millennium, faithful have buried loved ones nearby. Some graves date from the 10th and 11th centuries, and newer ones are from the latter 1900s. Since the site is now a protected zone, new burials are no longer allowed. Only in (comparatively) recent years have dates or names been included on graves. So it is clues like style which help age the grave sites. These, we were told, are likely to be 16th or 17th century.