NEWS

Turkologists discussed the legacy of Mahmud Kashgari in Bishkek

Today, on June 24, President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev attended the international conference titled “950th Anniversary of the “Divanu lugati-t-Turk”: The Common Heritage of the Turkic World” in Bishkek.

The event was organized by the Turkic Academy in collaboration with the Turkish Linguistic Society under the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, with support from the Chingiz Aitmatov Institute of Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The opening ceremony was attended by the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic Bekzhan Supanaliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Advisor to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Arslan Koychiev, President of the Turkish Linguistic Society Osman Mert, President of the National Commission of Türkiye for UNESCO Ojal Oguz and Rector of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University Alpaslan Ceylan.

The conference focused on the historical significance of Mahmud Kashgari’s work "Divanu lugati’t-Turk". Turkologists from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Türkiye discussed various scientific topics, including the biography of the author, the objectives behind creating "Divanu lugati-t-Turk", the language of the work and its literary materials, historical and ethnographic information. Special attention was given to translations and research on "Divanu lugati-t-Turk," emphasizing its importance for the study of Turkic languages, modern dialects, literature, ethnography, comparative linguistics and lexicography.

At the opening of the conference, President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev highlighted the significance of Mahmud Kashgari’s work “Diwanu lugati-t-Turk”. He emphasized that this 11th-century work serves as an encyclopedia of the Turkic world, encompassing the social structure, geography, lifestyle, beliefs, mythology and folk literature of Turkic peoples and tribes. He also noted that “Diwanu lugati-t-Turk” is gaining importance in providing a scientific and cultural foundation for integration between Turkic states.

"I hope that this event will open new horizons for research in this field," said Shahin Mustafayev.

The conference took place in an interactive format with discussions and presentations, offering a platform for participants to exchange ideas and delve into Mahmud Kashgari's legacy. Attendees highlighted the event's significance in bolstering cooperation among Turkic states in science and culture.