Turkic Academy celebrated Nauryz

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Today, the International Turkic Academy (TWESCO) held celebrations in honor of Nauryz - one of the oldest holidays of the Turkic world. Ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Hungary, representatives of diplomatic missions, public and state figures of Kazakhstan, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of the Turkic ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan took part in the event, Kazinform has learnt from the Academy's press service. 

At the opening of the Nauryz holiday celebrations, President of the International Turkic Academy Darkhan Kydyrali made a solemn speech. He congratulated all participants of the event, and noted the fact that Nauryz was a national holiday of the Turkic world, a tradition that continues from the depths of centuries to the present day.

In various historical sources the Nauryz holiday is associated with the end of Ergenekon for Turks. For this reason, Nauryz in the Turkic culture is also called Ergenekon. Ergenekon is a holiday associated with the origin of the people; moreover, it is a holiday of unity, life, peace, wealth and grace. As in the past, in all Turkic states and neighboring countries it is celebrated as a spring festival, Zhylgayak, Yenigun, Zhylsyrty, Teze.


At the event organized by the Academy in honor of Nauryz, a ritual of "Beating the Iron", symbolizing the end of Ergenekon, was held. The President of the Academy hit a piece of iron on a symbolic anvil with a hammer, notifying the start of the New Year.

Ambassadors, who took part in the event, spoke about the peculiarities of Nauryz celebrations in their countries and congratulated all participants of the event.

Participants of the event were able to taste traditional food of Turkic countries that celebrate Nauryz, as well as to find out samples of material culture of these countries, rituals and traditions associated with Nauryz.

During the event, melodies of Korkyt Ata were performed on a kobyz found in the Altai mountains during the excavations carried out by the Academy, this gave a special emotional lift to the participants of the holiday.