On July 23, 2025, the official opening ceremony of the exhibition “The World of Abay and Yasawi” was held at the Abai “Zhidebai-Borili” State Historical, Cultural and Literary-Memorial Reserve-Museum. The event was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the “Aziret Sultan” National Historical and Cultural Reserve-Museum.
The exhibition coincided with the large-scale action-challenge “Ūlagatty ölke – Abai, the Land of the Greats – Semey”, initiated by the Council of Veterans of Semey. Opening remarks were delivered by Ulan Bolatuly, Director of the Abai Museum-Reserve, who highlighted the importance of the exhibition held in honor of the 180th anniversary of the great poet Abai Kunanbayuly, as well as the broader significance of promoting the spiritual heritage of both Yasawi and Abai.
Oraz Toktaruly Sharipbayev, President of the International Society of the Kazakh Language, Honorary Citizen of Semey, and recipient of the Qurmet Order, noted: “The legacies of Yasawi and Abai are the guarantee of the Kazakh people’s spiritual progress and the unshakable foundation of our flourishing culture.”
The event was attended by honored citizens of Semey, representatives of the intelligentsia and cultural community, as well as 7th–11th grade students of the Karauyl Secondary School in Abai District, Abai Region. They recited Yasawi’s hikmets and Abai’s poetry with great expression, deeply moving the audience.
The talented students are also prizewinners of the traditional “Yasawitanu” contest, organized annually by the “Aziret Sultan” Museum-Reserve, as well as participants in the “Abai Readings.”
The purpose of the exhibition is to:
– promote the life, works, and rich legacy of Abai Kunanbayuly in honor of his 180th anniversary;
– present valuable works by Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the great mentor of the Turkic world, and his school dating from the 12th–19th centuries;
– introduce visitors to the intellectual and creative heritage of these thinkers through books, manuscripts, memoirs, and artifacts from the museum’s collection.
The exposition features manuscripts, memoirs, musical instruments, and photographs related to Abai Kunanbayuly; oil paintings and rare 19th-century manuscripts; as well as works by Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and prominent representatives of the Sufi tradition — Sopy Allayar, Khoja Hafiz, Alisher Navoi, and Suleyman Bakyrgani. Among the unique exhibits is a 10th-century handwritten Quran translated into Old Turkic.
