Richard And Jo Demeester's photos with the keyword: Koshkar Ata

Most of the graves were simple walled affairs, perhaps a stone marker, or maybe just piled earth or rocks within. Some were buildings with roofs, perhaps with a dome or a peak, appearing like a little mosque. These tombs, for the most part, were plain inside. Bare bricks, or a plain plaster render. We found four, though, that had interesting paintings on the walls. Pictures which, in some way, reflect the personality or wishes of the person now entombed within.

After wandering around the cemetery for an hour or so, we came across some fenced off areas where some of the oldest graves are. How old, we don't know, but certainly to be measured in hundreds of years. This one particularly prominent grave marker we thought to be outstanding.

Not far from Aktau, Koshkar Ata cemetery feels like a small city. When you wander deep within, and then seek a vantage point, there is almost nothing that can be seen in any direction other than tombs.