Sonabay Underground Mosque in Mangistau.

"If you are in love, love like this,
Let the power of your love reach people with its aroma
As soon as he hears the name of Allah, he is ready for everything.
Such a lover does not need earthly things"

Khikmety Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.

Trip to Sonabay Mosque in Mangistau.

Sonabay Underground Mosque is located at an altitude of 160 meters above sea level, is located 300 meters to north and a little to east of Aktobe cemetery, 1.3 kilometers to north of northern edge of Sauskan desert, 7.1 kilometers to east and a little to north of village of Ushtagan, in Mangistau district of  region of same name.
The monuments in the Sonabay necropolis date back to the XIXth - XXth centuries. The mosque is carved on a small hill of chalk-limestone rock. At the moment, 80% of the monument is destroyed. The room is covered with debris from the collapsed ceiling.
The monument consists of three rooms. The rooms were obviously very spacious. The entrance opening is conventionally defined in the south-eastern sector of the monument. Perhaps the average height of the internal walls was about two meters.
A rectangular niche is carved on the western wall of the central room. The outline of the niche entrance is decorated with an ornament, using stone carving technique. In the same chamber there is a light opening, round in plan. The monument has not yet been studied either archaeologically or ethnographically.
There is only scant information among the population that Sonabay lived in the 19th century and became famous as a clairvoyant, healer and chiropractor. We believe that emergency rescue work should be carried out on the monument as a matter of urgency.
Geographic coordinates of Sonabay underground mosque: N43°50'09 E52°48'29

Authority and photos by:
Otynshy Koshbayuly, Murat Kalmenov. "Underground mosques of Mangistau". Olketanymdyk bassylym. Almaty, Publishing house "Orkhon". 2009. 160 p.