Turkmenistan: Gozli Ata Mausoleum

The Gozli Ata Mausoleum is a religious site in the middle of nowhere in the desert. The site is dedicated to Gozli Ata, a 14th-century Sufi teacher revered as the “All-seeing Father” for his supposed ability to see into people’s souls. The mausoleum is a two-domed structure that sits in a natural bowl surrounded by colorful pink, greenish, and reddish limestone formation. Adjacent to it is a mausoleum for his wife, Bibi Aysulu, Next to them is an old tribal graveyard of the Salor tribe, featuring numerous finely carved stone tombs, some dating back centuries. Gravestones often have a notch at the top to collect water, believed to “feed” the souls of the deceased. The gravestone shapes are also different for men and women. Gozli Ata is A significant Sufi pilgrimage site.