Ukash ata, the mausoleum and the holy well

It is located 35 km north of Turkestan (Babaikurgan Rural District, Turkestan District, SKR). Holy place of religious pilgrimage of the population from different regions of Kazakhstan. It is a part of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Azret Sultan" as a monument of religious and spiritual importance.

The sacred place includes two main objects: the mausoleum of Ukash ata and the holy well. The total area around the mausoleum is 90 hectares. The mausoleum was built in 1989-1990 by local residents. The mausoleum consists of two rooms: a small entrance and the main room, 22.2 m long, 4 m high and 4.6 m wide. The main room has seven small windows. In it there is a 21 m long sagan tombstone. And although historical legends refer the time of life and exploits of Ukash ata to the time of life of Khoja Ahmed, there is no real evidence of such a distant history in this area. All objects associated with the cult of Ukash ata are obvious "modern replica".

The well is located on the opposite side of the sai. Above its estuary, the locals recently built a circular structure. The well has a depth of about 22-25 m and is a rupture/slot in the rock in the form of a narrow inclined tunnel. According to folk legends, the well is connected to the spring water of the Zam-Zam in Mecca through underground tracks. The sacred well is attributed a magic property: a sinless man, having lowered a bucket on a rope, will lift it from the well filled with water, and the sinner - empty. It is believed that by how much water Allah poured (full, quarter, empty) you can judge how your life will be. If a pebble gets into the water, the Almighty will give this man a rare gift, a talent - healer, seer, musician or writer. Therefore, the well of Khazret Ukash is considered a place for testing sinfulness.

There are several legends about Ukash ata among the people. One of them says that the Prophet Mohammed gathered the people before leaving for the other world: "Oh, the people of Almighty Allah, my worldly way ends. According to Sharia, if I owe it to someone, let them ask for their debt". Khazret Ukash ata came forward: "You owe me one". The people shuddered. Ukash ata continued: "During the war you hit me twice with a rock on my shoulders. I too, Your Holiness, want to hit you twice with this rock. Let me fulfill my wish". Sahaba (the righteous men of Islam), when they heard the words of Ukash ata, were amazed: "Oh, Ukasha! Take your words back. If the Prophet Muhammad is your debtor, we will repay the debt, hit us with a rock as much as you want. But Ukasha stood by his word. Even the entreaties of Khazret Ali did not help. Then the Prophet Muhammad put his shoulders on the table. But Ukasha didn't like it either: "You hit me on the bare shoulders. With your permission, I want to recover my debt in the same way". The Prophet Muhammad took off his lower shirt and everyone saw the divine radiance coming from his body. Then Ukasha repented, threw away the whip, and said: "Your Holiness, forgive me. My only desire was to see the seal of Allah on your body, and I reached my goal," and bowed before the Prophet. Mohammed, hearing Ukasha's sincere confession, exclaimed: "Whoever visits Ukasha will escape the fiery hell".

Another legend says that Khazret Ukasha was a warlord of the Prophet Muhammad and participated in campaigns, spreading Islam. His body was neither arrow nor sabre, and he showed miracles of heroism. The enemies realized that they could not defeat Khazret in an open battle, and were cunning. By lying through Ukasha's wife, they learned that he was powerless while reading namaz. "During the morning prayer to the Almighty, I am completely out of it," he told his wife. During the prayer, sneaking up behind him, they cut off his head with the sword lying next to him. The enemies tried to mock his head, but it rolled over and fell through two hills into the ground, where a well was formed.

And now pilgrims from all over Kazakhstan flock to the sacred well to test their destiny.