On August 19, 2025, the East Kazakhstan Regional Museum of History and Local Lore hosted the grand opening of the unique exhibition “Turkistan – Light Through Millennia.” The event was organized as part of the directive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to widely promote the spiritual heritage of the great thinker Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.

The exhibition is the result of collaboration between the “Aziret Sultan” National Historical and Cultural Reserve-Museum and the East Kazakhstan Regional Museum. Its main goal is to present to the public the exemplary teachings of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, his wisdom-filled hikmets, and the values of his Sufi school.

The exposition unites spiritual and material treasures. The spiritual light is represented through rare manuscripts of Yasawi, his students and followers, including Sheikh Khudaidat al-Bukhari, Sopy Allayar, Muhammad Ali al-Siddiqi, and Sultan Shadi Zhangir. The material light is reflected in ceramic artifacts and bronze lamps dating from the 12th to 19th centuries, produced in the Turkistan region.

Visitors can explore ancient copies of the “Diwani Hikmet”, works of Yasawi’s intellectual successors, and unique historical relics of the era. The exhibition demonstrates that Yasawi’s teachings remain a timeless light, resonating in the hearts of generations.

The opening ceremony featured speeches by Samat Bekboluly, Head of the East Kazakhstan Department of Culture, who emphasized the importance of such cultural projects; Duman Nadiruly, the region’s Chief Imam, who highlighted the role of Turkistan and Yasawi in the spread of Islam across the Kazakh steppe; and Zhanat Zhumagazykzy, Head of the Religious Affairs Department, who stressed the relevance of Yasawi’s legacy in youth education today

The cultural event gathered intellectuals, museum and library professionals, young scholars, students, and all those interested in history and spiritual heritage. A special highlight was the performance of East Kazakhstan winners of the “Yasawitanu-2025” contest, who recited spiritually rich hikmets such as “O Creator,” “Critical Hour,” and “Parvardigar.”

At the conclusion, Acting Director of the “Aziret Sultan” National Reserve-Museum, Nurlan Musagaliuly Dukenbayev, expressed his gratitude to colleagues from East Kazakhstan for their support and presented the museum’s publications as gifts, as well as a letter of appreciation to Svetlana Konstantinovna, Director of the Regional Museum.

The exhibition “Turkistan – Light Through Millennia” will remain open until September 13, 2025.