Today, on February 10, 2024, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the birth of Hungarian scholar Turkologist István Kongur Mandoky.
Prof. Dr. István Kongur Mandoky throughout his life researched the history of the Turkic peoples in Europe, especially the Hungarians and Cumans, as well as their Turkic-Hungarian roots. He participated in research trips to Poland, Romania and Bulgaria to study Turkic literature and culture, and later organized successful research expeditions to Anatolia, the Volga region, Central Asia and Mongolia.
He could speak many Turkic languages fluently, as well as many European languages. He translated some of the written heritage of the Turks into Hungarian.
Mandoky, who was awarded the Postumus prize of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for his great achievements in science in 1993, passed away in September 1992 at the age of 48. According to his will, he was buried in the Kensay cemetery in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The Turkic Academy commemorates with gratitude the scholar who left a rich legacy after him and whose name is always mentioned with great respect.
Mandoky's personal library, which contains approximately 16,000 books and various documents, is kept in the Turkic Academy's Library.
On the occasion of Mandoky's 80th anniversary, the Turkic Academy plans to hold a number of events and publish his scientific works this year.