Birthplace of Abai should be given a higher status - President

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM In the course of his working trip to East Kazakhstan region, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the birthplace of great poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev - Zhidebay area - to pay respect to the sublime thinker.

The President proposed to give a higher status to the birthplace of Abai and make it a popular pilgrimage site, Akorda press service tweeted.

"This sacred place should be given a higher status. We should make it a popular pilgrimage site, like Russians did with the birthplace of Pushkin and Great Britain - with the birthplace of Shakespeare," said Tokayev.

The President stressed the need to make the sacred places of the region more available for the tourists under the Rukhani Janghyru programme.

According to Press Secretary of the President Berik Uali, Tokayev also visited Abai House Museum and the Abai & Shakarim Memorial Complex.