Kazakhstan: Beket Ata Underground Mosque
Beket Ata mosque is often called the “Mecca of Central Asia” – it is a place of pilgrimage for Sufi Muslims. Beket Myrzagululy, an Islamic mystic and scholar from the 18th century, is buried here. Getting to the mosque requires a 2km hike, descending from a cliff ridge down into the bottom of the desert valley. The mosque has several rooms carved into the chalky rock, with Beket Ata buried in one of them and his sister Akkuash in the next room. There’s also a room for prayers and a room with a wish tree in it.
