Historians are trying to include the art of making the first houses of the nomads into the UNESCO list of World Intangible Heritages.
The Mangistau
yurt is already nominated as a model, and the local historians’ hope, that it
soon will be put under protection of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, reports 24.kz.
Mangistau
was not chosen accidentally. This is the place where the Kazakh yurt preserved in
its original form and over the centuries, the ancient house of the steppe
people has not undergone any changes. People of Japan admire this yurt for its
beauty. The ancient dwelling of Kazakhs, which was made by the masters from
Mangistau, was exhibited in the International Ethnographic museum in Osaka.
The
experts said that soon, the art of making yurts would be available for the rest
of the world. For more than a year, the employees of Mangistau History Museum fighting
for the inclusion of the Kazakh yurt into the UNESCO list of World Intangible
Heritages.
Tamara
Zhumalieva, director of the Mangistau History Museum:
In the
end of the last year, the UNESCO Secretariat adopted all the documents. We
walked to this nomination with the Kyrgyz, but they chose us. We are certainly
happy about this and at the same time, we feel a great responsibility. Frankly,
it was not easy. The entire teaching staff of the museum did a tremendous
amount of work on the study of Mangistau yurt.
The Yurts in their original form preserved only here, on Mangyshlak. In this
ancient land, we concerned as to how we should convey the very art of making the
houses of nomads. In Mangistau, we still have the masters with the inherited
skills. They can easily recreate the yurt, such as of the 18th century.
Tamara Zhumalieva, director of the Mangistau History
Museum:
- Our artisans made the skeleton of yurt and applied
felt with the use of special technology, which they received from the
ancestors. They use the same special requirements for the decorating of this
home. It was here in Mangistau, where the traditions have remained unchanged.
Therefore, our yurt is the best and famous worldwide.
The interior of the yurt is impressive. Everything,
from the threshold to shanyrak, has its own unique pattern. The employees of
Mangistau History Museum confident that soon the whole world will talk about
their project. If the secretariat of UNESCO will recognize the yurt as one of
the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, then the Mangistau yurt will
receive a certificate during this year.