Kyzylkala

Kyzylkala, the “Red Fortress”, was a medieval settlement near Sherkala in the dry country of Mangystau. Its stone walls enclosed a citadel, with residences and a necropolis outside, while an extensive water system served the settlement. It stood on a route between Khwarazm and the western Kazakh steppes, offering a stopping place for trade across the peninsula. Some scholars associate it with the fortress of Mangyshlak described by medieval geographers.