Scientific and educational project “In the footsteps of Yassawi” will be promoted among Turkic-speaking countries

Head of the Rare Manuscripts Department of the Süleymaniye Manuscripts Library Hüseyin Kutan, representative of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Associate Professor Albina Tuzlu and its representative in Kazakhstan Ismail Gürlek came to Turkestan with a special visit.

During the visit, the guests familiarized with the results of the scientific and cognitive expedition “In the footsteps of Yassawi”, which for two years is conducted by employees of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan”, and reported that they intend to begin large-scale work under the memorandum recently signed between the Museum-Reserve and the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination.

– “First of all, on behalf of Turkey, we express our gratitude. You have done a tremendous amount of work. Your work to research heritage of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi was widely covered by Turkish TV channels and our publications.

“We plan to publish a book version of the manuscripts you found. It will be translated into the languages of Turkic countries, we will contribute to its popularization,” said Hussein Kutan, head of the rare manuscripts department of the Sulaymaniyah Manuscripts Library.

The representatives of the Turkish delegation also visited the house of a descendant of Gashyk Zhussip Ata, a nephew, disciple and contemporary of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi Seidalim Yuldashev and got acquainted with the medieval manuscript, which is written in Chagatai language. It is 3.5 meters long. The state of preservation is of an average level. The historical artifact was passed on by the descendants of Zhussip Ata to each other as a family relic. Recently Kunsulu Assetova from the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan” translated the manuscript into Kazakh. Information about the mother of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi’s nephew Zhussip Ata Bibi Khubra became known.

Representatives of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in collaboration with “Azret Sultan” Museum-Reserve are planning to start the project with the publication of a book version of the manuscript.

We are planning to visit the Republic of Turkey in the near future within the framework of “In the footsteps of Yasawi” project and collect information on the disciples of Yassawi there. During today’s meeting we also discussed with representatives of Turkish delegation opening of a special center for restoration of rare manuscripts and manuscripts on the basis of the Museum-Reserve. Museum-reserve specialists will share their experience with employees of the largest historical and cultural centers of Turkey and will receive training. Master classes will be held for specialists who will be engaged in restoration of valuable manuscripts,” said Ersin Botabaiuly, Acting Director of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan”.

It should be noted that in June the scientific and cognitive project “In the footsteps of Yassawi” was widely implemented in the capital, where a memorandum on its promotion in the Turkic world was signed. In the course of the bilateral agreement it was decided to combine efforts in preserving the historical and cultural heritage, promote the materials discovered during the project “In the footsteps of Yassawi”, offer them for restoration if necessary, carry out joint scientific and cultural expeditions, promote creation of a tourist image, exchange of experience and training of cultural specialists.

Guests from Turkey visited the mausoleum of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi and got acquainted with the work of the museum-reserve.