Cape Zhygylgan (“fallen earth”) is a vast geological depression near the Caspian coast, scattered with house-sized boulders.

A historic underground mosque carved into chalk rock on the Tyub-Karagan peninsula.

A scenic canyon with towering rock walls, ideal for walking and landscape photography.

The Valley of Balls — one of Mangystau’s most mysterious places, filled with unusual spherical stone concretions.

A tract famous for colorful Jurassic clay washouts and striped geological layers.

A distinctive isolated mountain shaped like a lion, a yurt, or an inverted bowl — one of Mangystau’s landmarks.

The Valley of Castles — remnant mountains that look like ruined towers and fortresses.

White chalk cliffs, a salt flat (sor), and striking rock formations in a vast desert landscape.

A desert camp near Tuzbair, used as an overnight base on Mangystau routes.

A historic underground mosque and necropolis, part of Mangystau’s sacred heritage.

A limestone canyon with unusual porous walls — coral-like textures, grottos, and narrow passages.

The colorful layered hills of Kyzylkup, nicknamed Tiramisu for their dessert-like stripes.

An isolated table mountain with striking bands of colored geological layers, rising like a clay pyramid.

A panoramic viewpoint over otherworldly rock formations and Mars-like landscapes in Bozjyra.

A dramatic rocky ridge in Bozjyra with a distinctive silhouette and panoramic views.

A viewpoint at the foot of the Bozjyra Fangs, with close-up views of towering rock pinnacles.

A panoramic viewpoint overlooking the iconic Bozjyra Fangs and the surrounding desert.

A remote Mangystau landscape area visited on extended photography expeditions.

A vast desert depression with salt flats, isolated mountains, and wide Ustyurt panoramas.