Tours to the religious monuments of Sozak.

"A mazar with a cap covered in light blue glaze and plaster ridges along the center of the dome, below which ran a belt with small recesses at the semicircular end. Only the plaster ridge in the center of the dome remains."

Gerasimov, G.G., "Architectural Monuments of Karatau." 1950.

Architectural sights of village Sozak.

 Kulak Ata Mausoleum is located at an altitude of 326 m. a. s. l. The Kulak-Ata Mausoleum, located in the southeastern part of the Sozak settlement, is the administrative center of the Sozak rural district of the village of the same name in the Sozak district of the Turkestan region.

Kulak-Ata Mausoleum dates back to the XVIth century. It is built of mud brick on a rubble foundation, with a clay-plastered exterior. This type of mazar, common in the region, features a characteristic elongated dome set on a rectangular base. The top of the dome has four square openings.
A low entrance is located on the south side, while the west side is blocked up. According to local residents, the top of the dome was previously covered with a light-blue facing (Kok-kumbez – "blue dome" in Kazakh). G.G. Gerasimov describes this mazar with a crown covered with light-blue glaze and plastered ribs along the center of the dome, below which ran a band with small indentations at the semicircular end.
Only the plaster bead in the center of the dome remains today. The transition from the square to the dome is achieved through trompe-l'oeil beams. In the western wall, a shallow square niche marks the entrance. A mudbrick tombstone stands in the center of the mausoleum.

Authority:
D. A. Taleev. "Code of monuments of the South Kazakhstan region." Architectural and archaeological heritage of the South Kazakhstan region. In the framework of the regional program "Cultural Heritage".
http://www.farsah.kz

G. Kamalova on Kulak-ata Mausoleum.

The Kulak-ata Mausoleum (Kok-kumbez - from Kazakh - means "Blue Dome") dates back to the XVIth century. It is an architectural structure located on the site of the Suzak settlement. It is built of mudbrick on a rubble foundation and coated with clay on the outside.
This type of mazar, common in this region, has a characteristic elongated dome set on a square. The upper part of the dome has four square openings. There is a low entrance on the southern side, while the western entrance is blocked up. According to local residents, the top of the dome was previously covered with a light-blue facing.
G. G. Gerasimov describes this mazar with a crown covered with light-blue glaze and plaster ridges along the center of the dome, below which ran a belt with small indentations at the semicircular end. Only the plaster ridge in the center of the dome remains today.
The transition from the quadrangle to the dome is achieved through beamed trumpet walls. In the western wall is a shallow square niche, constructed at the entrance. A tombstone made of adobe brick is installed in the center of the mausoleum.

Geographic coordinates of Kulak Ata mausoleum: N44°08'15 E68°28'05

References:
Gerasimov, G. G., "Architectural Monuments of Karatau." "Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR." Architectural Series. 1950, No. 80, p. 75-76;
M. M. Mendikulov, "Folk Architecture Monuments of Western Kazakhstan." Alma-Ata, 1987, p. 52.

Authority:
G. M. Kamalova, "Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Kazakhstan. Chimkent Region." Alma-Ata, 1994.

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.