Fast facts and trivia

8 Culture in Kazakhstan

If you were in Kazakhstan, but did not see the white Kazakh yurt on the green meadows dzhailyau, you can not enjoy the very full life of the Kazakhs. Yurt - one of the oldest and greatest inventions of Eurasian nomads. At all times it was a practical and convenient accommodation Kazakh yurt. The snow-white dome in the green foothill dzhaylyau, fabulous plays of carpets and tekemets, perfect prefabricated home of a nomad, that is - a legend or reality?

Perhaps all together and many other wonders and mysteries embodies a unique, polished by centuries of traditional phenomenon of portable houses Kazakhs. This original house, loaded on camels, accompanied by your ancestor or a modern shepherd from hibernation in the spring pasture, obediently followed you, your children, wives and herds from summer to autumn dzhaylyau Kuze. Originality of this type of housing, architecture, created from felt and flexible withy, began today for each of us a symbol of far-reaching homeland, the ancient culture of the people.

Speaking of the Kazakh yurt, we can confidently say that the dwelling was not only just thought to the needs of the nomadic way of life, and her grace ornamental decoration of different decor, but the principle is the construction of the yurt was a reflection of their views on the world around us. Yurt brings a thoughtful and adapted the principle of communion with nature, the surface of the steppe and high mountains, alpine meadows and tenderness of the endless blue skies.

Stay there a couple of hours for a bowl of hot flavored tea, spend the night in the tent, when he looked through the jar shanyrak, your face will touch the cool light of distant stars, and you will feel strange, inexplicable feeling of comfortable security at home and at the same time a sense of infinite openness of universe, moving with an infinite length of the universe. This unusual way of life was probably dictated by the ancestors of the Kazakhs is not only the specifics of their nomadic economy, but also arose from the need to feel part of a whole, to live in unison rhythms of the universe.

Kazakh yurt - kiiz yd - a product of traditional culture based on the ecological balance, a culture that seeks its development does not dominate and change nature and to learn its laws and apply them in their daily lives. The receiver nature as a natural shelter, a nomad created his own house by her own laws.

He made it easy for assembly and disassembly, with the help of one camel and two horses the entire construction of the yurt and the decoration of the interior is easily transported. In the optimum comfort of its structure wholly reflected the dynamism of the nomadic life. It keeps the cool air on hot summer days and protected from cold winds piercing without getting wet from the torrential flows of autumn rains.

Built entirely from natural materials, Kazakh yurt became a kind of continuation and development of opportunities for nature protection and comfort of human life: the flexibility of willow - willow, an indispensable material for the wooden frame-kerege; density tugogo impervious to rain jets and the sun scorching steppe felt, specially manufactured to meet the tent only to fall from the wool shearing special breeds of sheep.

Obustraivanie place to live as a sort of the universe - the basic principle of building a traditional Kazakh yurt. No temple, just the daily housing Kazakh its multi-valued, large symbols likened the universe and only if it gave its owner the full sense of home. Merge with nature, in harmony with it and with it the Cosmos, originating at the level of material and design of the yurt, continues and intensifies in its interior.

Almost all types of traditional crafts Kazakhs emerged from time immemorial and have passed on all the vicissitudes of history are involved in setting and decoration of interior decoration of the yurt. There are competing with each other colorful multicolored ornamental patterns, texture and richness of the plastic wood-carving, embroidery, felt rugs, leather and metal, thus creating a unique polyphony of colors and lines.

Flower patterns “tekemets” - felt rugs, abstract, cosmogonic ornaments baskurs - woven, patterned ribbons encircling the inner perimeter of the yurt, decorated with intricately carved and inlaid furniture reflect the presentation of the Kazakh nomads about the device and the beauty of a world in which he lives. It revived echoes of the pagan cults of the sun and sky, the heavenly bodies, the submission of a cyclical change of seasons, recognizable in generalized symbols of the ornament of flora and fauna of the steppe.

One of the main (as a philosophical and constructive value) characters yurt is round. The diversity of the range of occurrences of terms in the tent begins with its outer dome shape. After countless community design, highlighted by the terms baskurs has exploded into a power outlet and symaks tekemets, the golden spiral rugs, round in the patterns of dishes, beds, cabinets and chests. And finally reaching the main range of the yurt - shanyrak - open holes in the dome of the yurt, all together exalted upward to the blue sky, to the chief deity of the Kazakhs - Tengri.

Shanrak - the circular top of the dome tent - has always been capacious characters, ideas about human life and the universe, the continuity of generations, since the unity and harmony of life. Passed from generation to generation, personified shanrak procreation, protection gone, but dear to the heart of ancestors, the favor of the heavenly bodies.

So what is a Kazakh yurt? When - it has been recognized by researchers as "the most perfect type of portable shelters and impressed the travelers and merchants, ambassadors of foreign states and medieval historians. Many of them, including the B. Rubruka and M. Protector, A. and N. Vamberi Bichurin left fanciful descriptions of felt tents and marquees, amazed them with his comfort and splendor of attire.

Today we can say that it reflected the phenomenon and the philosophy of the nomad and his way of life. Yurta can be understood as a perpetual reminder of the greatness and infinity of the universe, and as an eternal appeal to the understanding and humility before the deepest mysteries of nature. It can be perceived homely and secure home, full of fantastically colorful comfort. You can see in her inscrutable convenient collapsible design, obedient to the will the owner, which collected in a few minutes in any landscape - the valley of the mountains or valley, green hills and endless expanses of the steppe.

In all forms, in any of its variations, whether “ac yd” - white front or “otau yd” - a small yurt Suite, hiking yurt-yd or the graying of the rain everyday yurt shepherd - she will always remain for us a precious and precious symbol of life for our ancestors.

Tourists are offered in yurts try the Kazakh national cuisine for the expanded dastarkhan (table). Traditional Kazakh dish - delicious besbarmak (boiled mutton or horse meat part of the test). You can not miss kuyrdak (fried lamb intestines), delicatessen horse (shuzhuk, kazi, pressed-zhaya), pilaf, manti (meat with vegetables in a pastry) and shish kebab (meat, roasted on a spit).

Kazakh products (Ira, katyk and irimshyk) are very unusual taste. Kumyz of mare's milk is considered to have healing properties. Baursaki (like donuts, fried dough part) melt in your mouth. Dastarkhan always ends up in tea-flavored tea with cream.

Leather products are renowned for their quality: saddle horses, vessels (torsuk used to store the mare) and the whip, causing all the envy and admiration. Blacksmiths made since ancient times Kazakh spears, guns, sabers and swords. Kazakh wood is widely known and used for the manufacture of doors, chests, tables and beds. Horn cattle are used for making amazing ladle for pouring into them kumys. The most pleasing thing is that visitors can not only observe the work of craftsmen, but also to order especially liked the thing or a souvenir.

Kazakh artisans are very skilled, especially in the creation of precious products. Steppe jewelers widely used noble white, silver in their works. In the special local stores you can buy different kinds of unusual national earrings: konyrau-sirghi (bell), shashakty-sirghi and shima, has played (spiral), as well as brooches and pendants (onerzhiek).

The first decorations were made in the animal style made famous in the animal style and are now fine rings, made in this style, be sure to attract your attention. Women can choose zhuzik - ensemble associated with the three rings and fine chains.

8.1 In what style the first decorating of nomads have been made?

a) Flower style;

b) Animal style;

c) Geometrical patterns;

8.2 Write complete answers to these questions:

a) What is traditional dwelling of the Kazakh people?

b) Name a drink made of milk of a mare

c) How the yurta dome is called?

8.3 Which of the following sentences are true and which of them are false?

a) Yurt - one of the oldest and greatest inventions of Eurasian nomads.

b) Besbarmak-it a dish from meat and vegetables.

c) Nomads worshipped to god of the blue sky - to Tengri.

8.4 Find translation of a word "invention"

a) Тұру орыны;

b) Өнертабыс;

c) Табұу;

8.5 Use a verb to be in the necessary form (is, are)

a) Kazakh products (Ira, katyk and irimshyk) _ very unusual taste.

b) Tourists _ offered in yurts try the Kazakh national cuisine for the expanded dastarkhan (table).

c) Kazakh wood _ widely known and used for the manufacture of doors, chests, tables and beds.

d) Steppe jewelers widely used noble _ white, silver in their works.

8.6 Choose the correct answer:

One … the main (as a philosophical and constructive value) characters yurt is round.

a) Is;

b) On;

c) Of;

8.7 Write complete answers to these questions:

a) What traditional dishes of the Kazakh people do you know?

b) What traditional drinks of the Kazakh people do you know?

c) What is your favorite dish?

8.8 Choose the correct answer: Tengri is the God of the ___

a) Water;

b) Earth;

c) Wind;

d) Blue sky;

8.9 What is «baursak»?

a) Boiled mutton or horse meat part of the test;

b) Fried lamb intestines;

c) Meat with vegetables in a pastry;

d) Fried dough part;

8.10 Choose the correct answer: Yurt - one of _ (old) and _ (great) inventions of Eurasian nomads.

a) Older, greater;

b) Oldest, most great;

c) The oldest, greatest.