Sacred monuments in steppes of Kazakhstan.

“My merciful Creator, put me on the right path,
Enlighten with your mercy and love.
Guide your erring servants on the right path,
This path is impossible without you."

Hikmet Khoja Ahmed Yassaui.

Trip from Ulytau to Karaganda.

Ospan Mausoleum is located at an altitude of 360 meters, located in northern part of ancient Omar necropolis, between Kogalyozek and Kara-Torgai rivers, in eastern part of Kyrgyshtau mountains, 177 meters east of right (eastern) bank of Kogalyozek drying channel, 343 meters to north from right (northern) bank of Kara-Torgai River, 313 meters northwest of Ospan wintering grounds, 9.5 kilometers northeast of village of Korgasyn (Shenber), 22.5 kilometers southwest of village of Ungurli , in Ulytau district in west of Ulytau region.
The Ospan Mausoleum is 15 meters long and about 8 meters wide. The height to the top of the dome reaches about 2.20 cm. This is a three-domed mausoleum. A small dome in the middle closes two rooms through the entrance.
The interior and exterior of the mausoleum is built of baked bricks, some of which are painted blue for decorative purposes, but this is very rare. The surface, corners and cornices of the sign are decorated with special patterned bricks.
Bricks with Arabic inscriptions were made in the same way. To the right of the middle entrance door is a round brick staircase. The domes are lined with bricks. Under the dome on the ceiling formed supporting masonry, similar to the foundation.
Doors were made through the corridor to the next room on both sides. The interior walls and corners are decorated with ornaments found in oriental architecture. In the room on the right side there is the burial place of Ospan's eldest son, Seidakhmet, and Sharip's daughter-in-law, with the late young child Shaden.
Sharipa's daughter-in-law was from the Baganali family of the Naiman clan. Through his character and intelligence, along with his domestic life, Ospan took care of the country and controlled the settlement. Thanks to this power, Ospan independently built a mausoleum for his grandfather.
Masters Aman, Amanbek Musulim were involved in the construction. They were also assisted by a master brickmaker, brother Koman, the son of Abdrakhman, from the Kipchak kulan family. Fired bricks were light. Local residents told about the secret that various organic substances were added to the solution, be it manure, horse hair, goat hair, fat, milk.
The Ospan Mausoleum is sometimes called the Sharipa Mausoleum. Next to this building are four-domed mazars made of stone. One of them is the father of Ospan - Serikbay, and the second of the father of Makan - Zhaksybay.
The Ospan Mausoleum was restored in 2020-2021 by the municipal state institution “Karaganda Regional Center for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage”. The architectural monument is a monument of local importance.
  Geographic coordinates of mausoleum Ospan: N49°16'47 E66°44'26

Authority:
https://ulytaureserve.kz/458-ospan-mazary-alpyna-keltirildi.html
https://ulytaureserve.kz/456-mavzolej-ospan-vosstanovlen.html

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.