09.11.2018 An International exhibition “Historical and cultural image of the Great Steppe” in Istanbul

On November 9, 2018, the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, within the framework of international cultural cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Turkey, with the support of the International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY, presented to the Turkish public an international exhibition “Historical and cultural image of the Great Steppe”.

The opening of the exhibition was held at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul.

The event was attended by representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Turkey, prominent political figures, as well as scientists and cultural figures, heads of international organizations and museums of the two countries – President of "Otandastar" Foundation – Nurtai Abykayev, Deputy of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Darkhan Kaletayev, Kazakh statesman, diplomat, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic States – Bagdat Amreyev, Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY – Duisen Kasseinov, General Advisor to the President of the Republic of Turkey – Haydar Ali Yildyz, Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Istanbul – Coskun Yilmaz, Director of the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Nursan Alimbay, Director of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul – Seracettin Sahin, etc.

The speakers noted the main milestones in the development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey, the prospects for bilateral partnership, and stressed the importance of developing and strengthening cultural ties between the countries.
The opening of the exhibition was accompanied by a musical performance of the instrumental ensemble of Kazakh folk music "Sazgen Sazy".

The exhibition introduced the residents of Istanbul with unique and rare artifacts from the collections of the Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan and demonstrated various aspects of the cultural traditions of the nomads who created the great steppe civilization.

The exhibition presents archaeological collections reflecting the highly developed culture and art of nomads in the era of Saka, Wusun, Kangui, Savromats, Huns and Turks: achievements of the Saka era armaments, horse harness and masterpieces of jewelry and ethnographic collections which reflect the life and traditional culture of the Kazakh people.

The archaeological section of the exhibition is based on monuments of the Scythian-Saka era – the brightest phenomenon in the history of the peoples of the Eurasian continent. With the era of the Saka, from the VIII century BC till III-V centuries AD is associated the emergence in Central Asia of a special economic and cultural type of nomadic cattle breeding. The emergence among the nomads of special forms of social organization and formation of the first states in the Eurasian steppes – the states of Saka, Wusun, and Kangui as well. Religious objects of Saka and Wusun found in Zhetysu – tripods, boilers, altars, incense-burners and lamps associated with the cult of fire and ancestors that demonstrate the high art and artistic technique of the ancient masters were of great interest to visitors.

The reconstruction of the Golden Man, found in 1969 in the Issyk kurgan, which is a national treasure of Kazakhstan, a masterpiece of world culture and the gold products of the early nomads (Zhalauly treasure IX-VII centuries BC, the treasures of Shilikty kurgan VII-VI centuries BC, the Kargaly treasure II-I centuries BC), which amaze with the richness of imagination, fine artistic taste are the great heritage of the ancient jewelry art and the achievement of the Saka and Wusun epochs took an important place.

The second section of the exhibition, devoted to traditional Kazakh culture: magnificent samples of traditional clothing and jewelry from the XIX and XX centuries, household items and decorative and applied arts, which make it possible to visualize the ethnographic originality of the culture of the Kazakh people, were presented.

The exhibition will last until December 9, 2018.