Mangyshlak bicycle tours.

“Nature is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere”

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Tours in Mangyshlak and Uzbekistan.

The Tamshaly valley in which there is a lake, a grotto and a spring is located at the end of the Tamshaly gorge, which adjoins in the northern part with the Meretsay gorge, in the northern part of the Tupkaragan peninsula, 5.1 kilometers south of Cape Bagarshyk, 27.4 kilometers to the northeast from the town of Fort Shevchenko in the Tupkaragan district of the Mangistau region.
The Tamshaly ravine, 3 kilometers long, which stretches from the southwest to the northeast, at the end opens up before us a rare combination of natural attractions in one place. In the vicinity of the tract in the west, there are two ancient necropolises Aktam and Shiaulie.
About 3 kilometers north of the Tamshaly spring is the abandoned fishing village of Karagan. In 27 kilometers from the city of Fort-Shevchenko, if you go along the sea towards the village of Taushyk, in a canyon that stretches into the depths of the peninsula with a huge crack, there is the source of Tamshaly, translated from Kazakh as "Merry drops".
There is also a lake with thickets of chia, mint, blackberry. The water comes out from under a wide, forty meters, stone platform, overhanging with a high cornice, and drumming like a drop on the slab of marl. The air saturated with water vapor is delightfully clean.
Having filled like a precious bowl, the lake gives up part of its moisture as a stream. You can get to the source along the canyon or moving along the cliff parallel to its sheer walls, consisting of multi-colored layers of rocky rock.
The colors burned out in the sun, lost their brightness. A large green spot opens up ahead. In the grotto it is twilight, lush vegetation. Drops of water protrude from the rocks. Hundreds of sparkling transparent glass jets, like a silver curtain of a fairytale theater, ring, emitting unique sounds that merge into a bewitching melody.
It's cool and calm here. A rare, unique place. The water in the spring protrudes directly from under a wide stone platform, which looks like a large overhanging cornice, and flows down in thin streams. True, "fresh" water, according to many tourists, is actually a little salty, but quite drinkable.
On the left side of the canyon, in the vicinity, Lake Tamshaly, in the place where a metal staircase is installed in the canyon there are ancient stone fences. In all likelihood, these stone fences were used to corral livestock from local cattle breeders.
You can get to Lake Tamshaly and into the canyon by going down through the Karagan slope and then a well-worn road leads you to a picturesque lake. The picturesque source of Tamshaly is located in this canyon.
Water breaks through the rocks. Hence the name of the area - Tamshaly, "drops". Locals and tourists like to relax here, hiding under the shade of spreading trees, watching the clouds and birds. The lake is clean, crystal water located in the very depths of the gorge.
Perhaps, in ancient times, the earth could sink, and groundwater began to seep through the layers of soil. Over time, the underground waters were depleted and the river dried up. A small lake at the foot of the rocks has survived.
You can get to the source by walking along the bottom of the canyon, or moving along the cliff parallel to its sheer cliffs. A lonely legend about the fate of the beautiful Meret wanders here. “She was the wife of a wealthy Turkmen khan, who roamed with his flocks from region to edge of the peninsula.
Meret husband was a sick and old man. He died soon after, and a high mazar was built in his memory. The widow grieved, cried and got down to business. That summer was hot and dry on the peninsula. The wind did not bring coolness, but turned the grass into dry bitter dust and carried it over the horizon.
People were tormented. The animals suffered from thirst. Mares and camels have lost their milk. It was impossible to water the cattle from the tiny muddy puddles that remained in the place of lakes and springs. Death seemed to cover the steppe with a dark wing.
The beautiful Meret conceived to take water from the sai, which hid it in its depths from people. She decided to cut a path in the black rock that would lead down to the life-giving moisture. She found masters and promised to pay generously for the work.
The rich relatives of the khan were afraid that Allah would punish Meret for insolence. But the brave woman decided to cut a path in the rock and take her jewel from the earth - water, water herds and flocks. Let people quench their thirst, then joy will come to the villages.
With kumis and shubat, the old strength will return to men and endurance to women. "The beauty turned out to be right. The wind that has flown in here gets tangled in the reeds, rustles the leaves. Watermelons grow green on small plantations, oblong melons are gaining sweetness, tomatoes turn red, listening to the drops of Ta-a-am-sha-a-ly-s.
Geographic coordinates of the Tamshaly valley: N44 ° 35'17.49 "E50 ° 35'37.70"

Authority:
Alexander Petrov. Antonina from the site www.aktau.narod.ru.

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.