Turkic leaders view rare historic artifacts in Turkistan

Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan were shown the spiritual relics of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi.

The heads of state viewed an exhibition of rare artifacts from the 14th-15th centuries related to the life of the outstanding thinker and the history of the mausoleum. Among the valuable exhibits is a unique wooden door to the tomb, preserved since the 14th century. The door is adorned with bone, inlaid panels, and gilded inscriptions, as well as Arabic texts in the Kufic and Thuluth calligraphic styles.

The distinguished guests were also shown bronze lamps made by order of Emir Timur, hanging bronze candlesticks from the 15th century, and two-branched lamp holders decorated with dragon motifs.

A particularly distinctive architectural element of the exhibition is an ancient kubba (copper finial) that once was atop the mausoleum's dome.

One of the most valuable exhibits is a covering (qabirzhapqysh) dating from the 18th-19th centuries, which was laid over the gravestone of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi. Its unique ornament combines religious symbolism, geometric composition, and calligraphy. In the Islamic culture of Central Asia, such coverings symbolized profound spiritual reverence.

As written earlier, Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan visited one of the shrines of great spiritual, historical, and cultural significance to the Turkic world — the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented the mausoleum with a handwritten Quran created by Ottoman calligrapher Ahmed Şemseddin Karahisârî.