In Almaty, scholars gathered to discuss the historical and cultural heritage of the Golden Horde.

The Central State Museum temporarily transformed into a scientific and discussion platform, featuring renowned domestic researchers of medieval urban culture, including historians, cultural experts, restorers, architects, and museum staff.

https://kazpravda.kz/n/v-almaty-uchenye-obsuzhdali-istoriko-kulturnoe-nasledie-zolotoy-ordy/2025-02-22 07:12:18

For the participants of the round table "Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Golden Horde: Preservation, Restoration, and Research," staff from several museums have prepared a unique exhibition titled "The Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Golden Horde (Jochi Ulus) Period."

– At the third session of the National Kurultai, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of taking measures to preserve the country's rich historical and cultural heritage, – says PhD in History, Professor Nurlan Atygaev. – Undoubtedly, the Ulus of Jochi represents a significant part of the history not only of the Kazakhs but also of other peoples of Eurasia. The empire, which stretched from the Altai to the Danube, played a crucial role in the historical processes in this region and its surrounding areas. And as the President noted, Kazakhstan is one of the successors of this state. The period of the Golden Horde encompasses not only political but also cultural history that requires study and scientific justification.

The exhibition features rare exhibits from the archaeological collections of the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Historical, Cultural, and Natural Museum-Reserve "Ulytau," and the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Saraiyshyk."

– Each museum has brought, of course, the most valuable items that can be emphasized both when familiarizing oneself with this period of history and during research, – shares Olga Myakisheva, senior researcher of the Archaeology Department at the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. – Each exhibit is unique. For example, there are painted tiles with Arabic inscriptions that adorned the exterior walls, a wooden entrance threshold, as well as a decorative element from the dome of the Juchi Khan mausoleum, presented by the Ulytau museum-reserve.

Staff from the Saraiyshyk museum-reserve brought a collection of jewelry and ceramic dishes. Among them, a golden jewelry set, appliqué plaques, earrings, and a ring stand out. Unique are two angons – representations of a man and a woman.

During this era, Islam had not yet firmly taken root among the nomads, and traditions of their ancestors were preserved in daily life. According to Muslim traditions, no items are placed next to the deceased during burial; however, most burials from the Golden Horde period are supplemented with accompanying inventory.
In the collection of the Central State Museum, one can see quite rare items: for instance, a quiver found during excavations in the 1990s by an expedition led by Emma Usmanova in Ulytau, as well as fragments of silk fabric from the burial of a nobleman in the vicinity of the village of Shengel'dy.

The archaeological collection of the medieval period from the Central State Museum's funds reflects the culture and daily life of the Kazakh people during the Golden Horde period. The artifacts presented demonstrate various aspects of the cultural traditions of nomadic and urban cultures. Notably, materials from the archaeological expedition of 1946–1950 led by Academician Alkey Margulan, who discovered traces of ancient urban culture in Kazakhstan based on excavations in Otrar, Taraz, Sayram, Syganak, and Saraiyshyk, stand out.