Turkic tribes are the ancestors of the Slavic peoples. Why were the Turks deleted from our history? Great ancient Turks Turkic group of peoples who belong to

Altai language family. As a result, linguistic classification, introduced in the 19th century, in the category of so-called. many peoples are included, to-rye before that they were not included in their composition. so-called. settled in Russia, the CIS, Turkey, China, Iran and other states. The Turks are Azerbaijanis, Altaians, Balkars, Bashkirs, Gagauz, Dolgans, Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Karachais, Kirghiz, Kumyks, Nogais, Tatars, Teleuts, Tuvans, Turks, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Khakasses, Chuvashs, Shors, Yakuts, etc. In 1990, the number of Turks was 132.8 million people. According to World. Assembly of the so-called, in the world there are approx. 200 million people belonging to the Turks (2007). Approx. 30 T.S. numbering 12 million 750 thousand people. (2002).

Proto-Turkic-speaking are considered (Huns), whose movement to the west is noted in the end. 3 - beginning. 2nd century BC. At the beginning of a.d. Ogur tribes (cf. ) - ancestors - migrated to the west. direction. Proto-Bulgarians. groups as ethnic The community was formed long before the formation of the Turks themselves. tribes (Turkyuts). In the 2nd–4th centuries in the Urals, an association of nomadic tribes of the Huns took shape, moving into the middle. 4th c. on Z and laid the foundation , which marked the end of the centuries-old domination of the Iranian language. nomadic tribes of the Scythians, and opened the way to the movement to the 3rd Turkic language. nomads (in the 9th–10th centuries, the Pechenegs and , in the 11th century. ). Turk. tribes, primarily Onogurs-Bulgarians and Savirs (see. ), were part of the Hun federation. In the 5th c. The Turks called the horde that rallied around Prince Amin (Mongolian name meaning wolf). According to the legend, the Altai Turks - tukyu (turkut) - come from the west. Huns. In the 6th c. the Turks formed into a small people who lived in the east. slopes of Altai and Khangai. As a result of several successful wars (since 545), the Turks managed to subjugate all the steppes from Khingan (Northeast China) to Azov. seas. The state of the Turks was called Türk. Khaganate, which in 604 disintegrated into the West. and Vostoch. Turkic Khaganates. From Ser. 6th c. to the 30s 7th c. Bulgarians and Suvars were part of Türk., then West. Turk. kaganate. Bulgarian. the component is present in a number of so-called. Caucasus: Azerbaijanis, Balkars, Karachays, Kumyks. On the ruins of the first Turks. and other associations appeared Kimak, Uigur Khaganates. famous Turk. the Ashina clan was headed by the Khazars. unification of hordes (cf. ), who lived in the Caspian steppes. In the 11th century to Turk. dialects were spoken by many peoples from Marble. sea ​​and slopes of the Carpathians to the Great Wall of China. Ancient so-called. were nomads, they subjugated many farmers. peoples who became their farmers. base. Orkhon-Yenisei runic inscriptions are the most important historical. and cultures. monuments (cf. , ). Turk. communities had a common cult of Tengrikhan - the god of the sky, the sun, a common cult of ancestors, as well as similarities in everyday life, clothing, methods of warfare; collection of information about the ancient Turks. tribes compiled in the 11th century. .

Mongol-Tatars. invasion of Eastern Europe in the 1220s–40s. set in motion masses of nomads. In the Eurasian steppes, the Kypchaks were defeated (the Kypchak steppe of the pre-Mongolian period is known as , it stretched from Altai to the Carpathians); conquered in 1236 . In the beginning. 1240s founded , it included Khorezm, the North. Caucasus, Crimea, Volga. Bulgaria, Urals, West. Siberia. The bulk of the population were Kypchaks, whose language was the state language. In the 1st floor. 15th c. formed late Golden Horde. ethnopolitical associations - Astrakhan., Kazan., Crimea., Siberia. khanates, Nogai Horde; in con. 15 - beginning. 16th centuries educated Kazakh. (in the composition of the Kazakhs historically formed the Senior, Middle, Junior zhuzes) and Uzbek. khanates. Their population consisted of Turkic tribes (Nogai, Kipchaks, Bashkirs, Kazakhs) and peoples (Kazan Tatars, Chuvashs), as well as Finno-Ugric peoples (Mordovians, Mari, Udmurts, Khanty, Mansi). During the existence of the khanates, the so-called. In particular, significant masses of Chuvash. population migrated to the territory of Bashkiria and to the West. Siberia, where the places were assimilated. Turks (Bashkirs, Siberian Tatars) and Kazan Tatars. migrants. All R. 16th century so-called. The Volga and Ural regions (Chuvash, Tatars, Bashkirs) became part of Rus. states, so-called. Siberia - in the 17th century, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan and the Middle. Asia - in the 18-19 centuries. After construction in the 17th–18th centuries there was a resettlement of the Chuvash, Tatar-Mishars, Kazan. Tatars and other peoples in the areas of the so-called. .

Unlike language material. and spiritual culture of the ancients. Chuvash (religion, including the pantheon, applied, musical, choreographic creativity, monumental and small forms of sculpture), with the exception of certain elements (for example, similarity. As a result, long interaction with a number of so-called, with their ethnic. In groups (primarily of the Tatar ethnic group), the Chuvash developed similar features that can be traced both in material and in spiritual culture.

Lit .: Bichurin N. Ya. Collection of information about the peoples who lived in Central Asia in ancient times. T. 1–2. M.–L., 1950; T. 3. M.–L., 1953; Klyashtorny S. G. Ancient Turkic runic monuments as a source on the history of Central Asia. M., 1964; Pletneva S. A. Nomads of the Middle Ages. M., 1982; Gumilyov L. N. Ancient Turks. M., 1993; Kakhovsky V. F. The origin of the Chuvash people. Ch., 2003; Ivanov V.P. Ethnic geography of the Chuvash people. Ch., 2005.

Inner Asia and Southern Siberia are the small homeland of the Turks, this is the territorial “patch”, which eventually grew into a thousand-kilometer territory on a global scale. The geographical composition of the area of ​​the Turkic peoples took place, in fact, over two millennia. The Proto-Turks lived in the trap of the Volga as early as the III-II millennium BC, they constantly migrated. Ancient Turkic "Scythians" and Huns" were also an integral part of the Ancient Turkic Khaganate. Thanks to their ritual structures, today we can get acquainted with the works of ancient early Slavic culture and art - this is precisely the Turkic heritage.

The Turks were traditionally engaged in nomadic pastoralism, in addition, they mined and processed iron. Leading a sedentary and semi-nomadic way of life, the Turks in the Central Asian interfluve in the VI century formed Turkestan. Existing in Central Asia from 552 to 745, the Turkic Khaganate in 603 was divided into two independent Khaganates, one of which included modern Kazakhstan and the lands of East Turkestan, and the other was the territory that included present-day Mongolia, Northern China and Southern Siberia.

The first, Western, Khaganate ceased to exist half a century later, conquered by the Eastern Turks. The leader of the Turgeshes, Uchelik, founded a new state of the Türks - the Turgesh Khaganate.

Subsequently, the Bulgars, Kyiv princes Svyatoslav and Yaroslav were engaged in the combat "formatting" of the Turkic ethnos. The Pechenegs, who devastated the southern Russian steppes with fire and sword, were replaced by the Polovtsy, they were defeated by the Mongol-Tatars ... Partly the Golden Horde (Mongol Empire) was a Turkic state, which later disintegrated into autonomous khanates.

There were many other significant events in the history of the Turks, among which the most significant is the formation of the Ottoman Empire, which was facilitated by the conquests of the Ottoman Turks, who seized the lands of Europe, Asia and Africa in the 13th-16th centuries. After the decline of the Ottoman Empire, which began in the 17th century, Peter's Russia swallowed up most of the former Golden Horde lands with Turkic states. Already in the 19th century, East Transcaucasian khanates joined Russia. After Central Asia, the Kazakh and Kokand khanates, together with the Emirate of Bukhara, became part of Russia, the Mikin and Khiva khanates, together with the Ottoman Empire, were the only conglomerate of Turkic states.

Inner Asia and Southern Siberia are the small homeland of the Turks, this is the territorial “patch”, which eventually grew into a thousand-kilometer territory on a global scale. The geographical composition of the area of ​​the Turkic peoples took place, in fact, over two millennia. The Proto-Turks lived in the trap of the Volga as early as the III-II millennium BC, they constantly migrated. Ancient Turkic "Scythians" and Huns" were also an integral part of the Ancient Turkic Khaganate. Thanks to their ritual structures, today we can get acquainted with the works of ancient early Slavic culture and art - this is precisely the Turkic heritage.

The Turks were traditionally engaged in nomadic pastoralism, in addition, they mined and processed iron. Leading a sedentary and semi-nomadic way of life, the Turks in the Central Asian interfluve in the VI century formed Turkestan. Existing in Central Asia from 552 to 745, the Turkic Khaganate in 603 was divided into two independent Khaganates, one of which included modern Kazakhstan and the lands of East Turkestan, and the other was the territory that included present-day Mongolia, Northern China and Southern Siberia.

The first, Western, Khaganate ceased to exist half a century later, conquered by the Eastern Turks. The leader of the Turgeshes, Uchelik, founded a new state of the Türks - the Turgesh Khaganate.

Subsequently, the Bulgars, Kyiv princes Svyatoslav and Yaroslav were engaged in the combat "formatting" of the Turkic ethnos. The Pechenegs, who devastated the southern Russian steppes with fire and sword, were replaced by the Polovtsy, they were defeated by the Mongol-Tatars ... Partly the Golden Horde (Mongol Empire) was a Turkic state, which later disintegrated into autonomous khanates.

There were many other significant events in the history of the Turks, among which the most significant is the formation of the Ottoman Empire, which was facilitated by the conquests of the Ottoman Turks, who seized the lands of Europe, Asia and Africa in the 13th-16th centuries. After the decline of the Ottoman Empire, which began in the 17th century, Peter's Russia swallowed up most of the former Golden Horde lands with Turkic states. Already in the 19th century, East Transcaucasian khanates joined Russia. After Central Asia, the Kazakh and Kokand khanates, together with the Emirate of Bukhara, became part of Russia, the Mikin and Khiva khanates, together with the Ottoman Empire, were the only conglomerate of Turkic states.

* This item is introduced into the syllabus at the discretion of the teacher

Lecture 1. IntroductionThe first Turkic tribes.

1. Historiography of the general Turkic history.

2. The concept of nomad culture.

3. States of the Huns

4. Turkic states

To date, there are very few communities left in the world that received their name at the very beginning of history, determined their geography of residence, developed historically and survived to this day, like stormy, uninterrupted river flows. One of these communities is the Turkic nation or community. The “golden apple” for the Turks inhabiting the Turan space is represented by a symbol of a round ball made of pure gold or ruby, located on thrones located in the eastern, western, northern and southern directions, which stimulate the thirst for its acquisition. This golden ball is both a symbol of victory and a symbol of domination. It is located in those regions that are waiting to be conquered. The concept of Turan must be considered in the realities created by history.

Turan

Turan, was originally called the territory of present-day northern Iran, which was named so by the Persians. This word began to exist from the 4th century AD. The meaning of the root of the word Turan is the word Tura (Front), which was used in the Iranian Avesta (the old religion of the Iranian Sassanids, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians) in a certain sense. In the sacred book of the Zoroastrians, this word is used as a personal name and the name of a nomadic tribe.

The root of the word Türk or a root with a similar name appeared at the very beginning of our era. We must not forget that these words have always been associated with the meaning of "Turks". The word "tura" in Persian means extremeness, courage, selflessness. The most accurate meaning of the word Tura was determined by Markouat. According to the mentioned scientist, the well-known homeland of the Persians under the name "Airyanem waejo" was located in Khorezm. The war between the Persians and the Turans, at one time determined the course of world history.

The nomads living at the mouths of the Amu Darya River and the Aral Lake called themselves Turanians. One of the most important and significant facts is the work of Ptolemaeus (translated by the Armenian translator S?rakl? Anania'nin) which speaks of an administrative territory in Khorezm called "Tur", which is a confirmation of the existence of the Turan tribe.

The great migration of tribes served as a change in the national map of the Asians. Gradually, the word Tura began to be applied to the enemy tribes of the Persians as the Yue-chi, Kushans, Khions, Hephthalites and Turks. This idea reached its apogee in the works of Mahmud of Kashgar. This scientist, who is very fond of Turkism, speaks of the emergence of Turkic values ​​and the mission of the Turks as a "sacred phenomenon" sent down by God. Alisher Navoi, being a fan of Turkic culture, proved that the Turkic language is in no way inferior to Persian.

The geographical concept of the terminology "Turan": This name comes from the name of the Turan people. Turkic states were named Turan. This term is mentioned in a work called "Hvatay-namak" in the Pahlavi language in Arabic and Persian sources. Islamic scholars (Arabic, Persian and Turkic) very often used the term Turan in their works. Arab geographers indicate that the Turks lived in the territories located in the eastern part of the Syr Darya River. Therefore, other geographers also believed that the homeland of the Turks (Turan) was the territory between the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya.

The word Turan became known to Europeans from the Oriental Library of De Herbelot. The sources stored in this library say that Afrasiyab, the son of Faridun, comes from the Turkic family Tur and was the great ruler of all countries located in the eastern and western parts of the Amu Darya River. the state of Turkestan, indicated on the maps of the 16th century by Ortelius and Mercator'on. The word Turan began to be used in the scientific terminology of European countries at the beginning of the 19th century.

Turanian languages

The term Turanian languages ​​was first used by the historian Bunsen (1854).

Castren subdivides the ancient Altaic languages ​​into five subgroups: Finno-Ugric, Semitic, Turko-Tatar, Mongolian, and Tungus. Subsequent studies have made some changes regarding the grouping of languages. The first two subgroups of languages ​​were separated from the last three groups that form the Altaic group of languages.

SETTLEMENT OF THE TURKS

The Turks, who are one of the most ancient and fundamental peoples, during their approximately four thousand years of existence settled on the continents: Asia, Africa, Europe.

The name "Turk"

The fact that the Turks are an ancient people forced researchers to look for the name "Turks" in the oldest historical sources. Targits (Targit), mentioned by Herodotus as one of the eastern peoples, or the so-called Tiraks (Yurks) (Tyrakae, Yurkae), who lived on the lands of Iskit, or Togharmans, mentioned in biblical traditions, or Turughas, found in ancient Indian sources, or Thraki, or Turukki, who are mentioned in the old sources of Western Asia, or Tiki, who, according to Chinese sources, played an important role in the 1st millennium BC, and even the Trojans were Turkic peoples who were called "Turk".

The word Turk was first used in writing in 1328 BC. in the history of China in the form of "tu-kiu". The appearance of the name "Turks" on the historical arena occurred along with the creation of the Gok-Turkic state in the 6th century. AD The name "Turk" found in the Orkhon inscriptions in most cases passes as "tyuryuk". It is known that the first political entity that had the word "Turk" in its name was the Turkic state, called the Gök-Turkic Empire.

The meaning of the word "Turk"

The name "Turk" in sources and studies was assigned different meanings: T'u-kue (Turk) = helmet (in Chinese sources); Turk = Turk (leaving) (in Islamic sources); Turk = maturity; Takye = a person sitting by the sea, etc. From the document in the Turkic language, it was found out that the word "Turk" has the meaning of strength, power (or "strong, powerful" as an adjective). According to A.V. Le Coq (A.V.Le Coq) the word "Turk" used here is the same as "Turk", meaning the Turkic people. This version was also confirmed by the researcher of Gök-Turkic inscriptions V. Thomsen (1922). Later, this circumstance was fully proved by Nemeth's research.

The first political entity to use the word "Turk" to designate the official name of the Turkic state was the Gök-Turkic Empire (552-774). This suggests that the word "Turk" does not have an ethnic character characteristic of a particular community, but is a political name. Starting from the creation of the kingdom of the Gök-Turks, this word first meant the name of the state, and then became a common name for other Turkic peoples.

The habitat of the Turks before the beginning of nomadism from the last century is the cause of disputes. Historians relying on Chinese sources. The Altai Mountains are recognized as the homeland of the Turks, ethnographers - the northern regions of inner Asia, anthropologists - the area between the Kyrgyz steppes and the Tien Shan (Mountains of God), art historians - northwestern Asia or the southwest of Lake Baikal, and some linguists - the east and west of the Altai mountains or the Kingan ridge.

The Turks, who were the first to pacify horses and began to use them as a riding animal, spread high views about the state and society over wide geographical areas. Their settled and nomadic life is based mainly on the culture of animal husbandry and self-sufficient agriculture. Historical sources also indicate that the Turkic nomad camps were made due to economic difficulties, i.e. due to the insufficiency of native Turkic lands for living. Severe droughts (Hunnic migration), dense population and lack of pastures (Oghuz migration) forced the Turks to migrate. The Turks, who in addition to agriculture in small areas were engaged only in animal husbandry, had other natural needs: clothing, various foodstuffs, etc. Then, when the available lands became insufficient to feed the ever-growing population, the neighboring Turkic lands were still sparsely populated, rich in natural resources, and had a favorable climate.

These circumstances, indicated in the sources of Turkic history as the main reasons for the migrations, contributed not only to their direction to different countries, but also to the attack on other Turkic lands, which were relatively more favorable for trade. Thus, some Turkic tribes, attacking others, forced them to roam (for example, nomad camps of the 9th-11th centuries).

Hun name

The political unity of the Huns, which stretched from the Orkhon and Selenga rivers to the Huanggo-Kho river in the south and was centered on the Otuken district, which was considered the sacred country of the Turks, is seen from 4. BC. The first historical document connected with the Huns was a treaty concluded in 318 BC. After that, the Huns increased their pressure on the Chinese lands. Local rulers, after long defensive wars, began to surround the areas of residence and places of military concentration with protective structures in order to protect themselves from the Hun horsemen. One of the Chinese rulers Si-Huang-Ti (259-210 BC) built the famous Great Wall of China (214 BC) against the attacks of the Huns. And at this time, when the Chinese brought evidence of protection from Turkic attacks, two important events took place: the birth of the Han dynasty, which for a long time brought up insightful emperors (214 BC) and the arrival of Mete Khan at the head of the Hunnic state. (209-174 BC).

Mete Khan, having responded with war to the constant demands of the land by the Mongol-Tunguz tribes, conquered them and expanded his territory to the northern Pechli, he returned to the southwest and forced the Yue-chi, who lived in Central Asia, to leave. Mete Khan, developing trade relations with China, took under his control the steppes that stretched to the bed of the Irtysh (Kie-Kun = the country of the Kirghiz), the lands of the Ting-lings, to the west of them, northern Turkistan and conquered the Wu-suns who lived along the banks of Issyk-Kul. Thus, Mete Khan gathered all the Turkic tribes that were at that time in Asia under his control and a single flag.

In 174 BC The Great Hun Empire, with its military and property organization, domestic and foreign policy, religion, army and military equipment, art, was at the very height of power and subsequently served as an example to the Turkic states for centuries. Mete Khan's son Tanhu Ki-Ok (174-160 BC) tried to preserve this legacy.

At the beginning of the 2nd century BC. Asian Huns were three groups: 1 - in the vicinity of Lake Balkhash, the remnants of the Chi-Chi Huns, 2 - in the vicinity of Dzungaria and Barkol - Northern Huns (they moved here in 90-91 BC from the Baikal-Orkhon region) , 3- on the territory of northwestern China - the southern Huns, who, having been advanced to the east by the Suenpi tribe from the Mongol clan, in 216 were almost completely expelled from their lands. The southern Huns, disagreeing among themselves, were divided into two more parts, and China, which increased pressure in 20, completely seized their territory. At the same time, the Asian Huns existed until the 5th century. and some people from the Tanhu clan created short-lived small states. Three of them: Liu Tsung, Khia, Pei-liang.

Some Huns, after the fall of the power of Chi-chi, dispersed and continued to exist, especially in the steppes east of the Aral Lake. The masses of the Huns, which increased in number due to other Turkic tribes living there and the Huns who came there in the 1st-2nd centuries. from China, after a while they got stronger and headed, presumably due to climate change, to the west. After the Huns conquered the country of Alan in the middle of the 4th century, they appeared on the banks of the Volga in 374. The great offensive of the Huns led by Balamir fell first on the eastern Goths and destroyed their state (374). The Hun attack, which continued with amazing speed and skill, this time defeated the western Goths, which are along the banks of the Dnieper, and King Atanarik with a large group of zvp. Gottov fled to the west (375).

The Great Migration of Peoples, which began in 375, is of great importance in the history of the world and especially of Europe. The Great Migration had a direct impact on the fall of the Roman Empire, the ethnic and political formation of Europe and, starting a new era (the Middle Ages), is considered a turning point in the history of Europe. in 395 the Huns began to act again. This offensive was carried out from two fronts: one part of the Huns advanced from the Balkans to Thrace, and the other, a large part, through the Caucasus to Anatolia. This offensive represents the first appearance of the Turks in Anatolia. the taking of Byzantium under their rule is the main goal of the Huns, and since the barbarian tribes that constantly threatened western Rome with ruin were enemies for the Huns, it was necessary to maintain good relations with them. With the appearance of Uldiz on the Danube, the second wave of the Great Migration of Nations began. Turkic tribes. ...in a generation, illuminated story people, his life manners, customs, and... culture peoples Russia, including the Bashkirs. re-interested them story and the manners of the freedom-loving people ...

The Turks are a numerous people, having behind them a huge life experience accumulated by generations. Now their community has a huge number of people settled all over the world. They had a huge impact on world history and other peoples.

Where do they live (territory)

The largest number of Turks live in Turkey (about 55 million). Representatives of the people can be found in Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Great Britain and France. More than 11 million people live in Russia, approximately 350 thousand - in Ukraine.

Story

The history of the Turks begins in Central Asia. It is believed that the Altai and Khan Tengri mountains were the main residence of the Turkic peoples. The state in which the Turkic people lived was called Turkestan. It was divided into Western and Eastern. It was in this country that the Turkic people were formed, created science, developed military affairs.
Descriptions of Turan (Turkestan) are preserved in the Hebrew Bible. The Assyrians, the inhabitants of Babylon, the ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans wrote about him.
Later, the actively developing empire of the Huns captures the ancient Turan and moves towards China. Part of the Turkic people decides to join the Huns in order to go on with the conquests again. It is known that many of the Mongol warriors were of Turkic origin. Most of the Turks readily stood under the banner of Genghis Khan. Later they became part of the Ottoman Empire, in which the active assimilation of the Turkic people took place.
The appearance of the Turks in modern Russia is due to the inclusion of the lands of the Golden Horde into the country.
Thus, the Kazan, Siberian, Astrakhan and Crimean khanates were annexed.

Name

According to one version, expressed by Wilhelm Thomsen, who headed the Danish Royal Scientific Society, the word "Turk" means "strong". Another version was voiced by a Soviet Turkologist. According to her, the name of the people comes from the word "legality". In the ancient Turkic language there is a word similar in spelling and pronunciation, which means "reached power." Some linguists put forward the assumption that "Turk" comes from the word "Tur", which has Iranian roots.

culture

The Turks created a unique culture, the main feature of which was mythology. Depending on the areas of residence, different representatives of the people had different myths. For example, the inhabitants of the Caucasus, Crimea and Western Siberia were characterized by the worship of the wolf, and the inhabitants of the Volga region and the Urals had a number of gods. For a long time, beliefs in the brownie bichur and in the fabulous creature shurale were preserved. The representatives of the Sayano-Altai community still have developed folklore and belief in spirits.

Traditions

Medieval Turks placed the family on the most important place in life. Great importance was attached to the elders, in whom they saw mentors and teachers. This tradition is still observed in many modern Turkic families. Another custom has been preserved - holding meetings, which are called evenings of rest. Meetings begin in late autumn and continue until the onset of spring. The meeting gathers men of the same age from the same village or district. During the meeting, conversations are held on secular topics, usually the participants are united by common interests. During the meetings, you can sing songs, dance, show culinary skills. All men choose a judge who must carefully monitor the participants so that they do not break the rules. The Turks are called Uighurs, and the Turks themselves are sometimes called Uighurs. It is impossible to disobey the rule in any case, otherwise the man is expelled from the meeting. Such meetings are not just interest circles, but allow you to form a circle of reliable and trusted friends, so they are taken seriously.
The head of the congregation takes part in various affairs of the communities. During the funeral, he should become the organizer, convene all the families and ensure that the situation is observed. Before the funeral ceremony, everyone who knew the deceased should gather in his house and say goodbye to him.
The mourning color of the Turks is white. The woman covers her head with a scarf, and the man ties a white sash. Only women mourn the deceased, being in the house. Men are supposed to be outside and meet people. Only young people dig the grave, the body is laid in such a way that the face of the deceased looks to the west. This custom is associated with the sunset, which symbolizes life, although there is no exact information about the origin of the ritual at the moment. Mourning lasts 7 days and ends with a memorial dinner. Members of the congregation must participate on all days. Their duties include preparing memorial cakes, reading prayers. Women are supposed to visit the relatives of the deceased every day for 40 days and treat them with dishes.

Wedding

Newlyweds marry only by mutual agreement. However, the tradition has been preserved to ask the bride's hands from her relatives, who may refuse.
The wedding ceremony can take 3 days. The day before the start of the celebration, a young bull is brought in, with a white scarf tied around its horns. On the day of the wedding, the headscarf is removed and tied around the bride's head. It is customary to give dowry in a chest. It is from its opening that the feast begins. Dowry is given not only by the groom, but also by the bride. The first day ends with a walk around the fire, which symbolizes purification. Such a rite should bring happiness and save from adversity. The next day, it is customary to begin acquaintance with the relatives of the spouses. Of course, they learn about each other even before the wedding, but, according to the established tradition, guests must definitely taste the treats and chat with the newlyweds.

Appearance

Cloth

In ancient times, the Turks could determine their status by their clothes. The dress indicated the estate and marital status.
Fur hats, which have a clear resemblance to modern earflaps, served as headdresses in the winter. In the summer they put on a felt cap. The usual winter outerwear was a kind of fur coat - a fur caftan. Representatives of the wealthy classes wore furs of valuable breeds of animals, and the poor - clothes made of sheep's fur. The Turks have always treated robes with great love - thick and insulated, with long sleeves. In such clothes it is warm, comfortable to walk and ride a horse. The main materials for its manufacture were wool and silk. As pants - bloomers. Clothing could be decorated in a variety of ways. The Turks, who lived close to China, used embroidery in the form of dragons. As a result of excavations carried out by archaeologists, pieces of silk with ornamentation corresponding to Sasanian motifs were found. This means that the masters could be inspired by Persia.
Of great importance was the manner of fastening the dress. Images found on stone sculptures indicate plowing to the left side. What exactly the style of fastening said remains a mystery. However, the features of plowing show that much attention was paid to such a procedure. Outerwear was tied with a belt, less often a belt was used. The boots were without heels, with slightly turned up toes. To insulate them, they used a special stocking.
The excavations have helped to establish with absolute certainty that the Turks have loved jewelry since antiquity. Patches made of gilded bronze, as well as exquisite knives with jewelry processing - all these decorations were found in the graves of noble men. Women wore items used in needlework. The warriors were richly decorated only with a belt. Obviously, the decorations were awards received by him during the years of service and battles.

Religion

Now, depending on the place of residence, the Turks profess Christianity or Islam. However, earlier the majority professed Tengrism. This is a unique pagan worldview. The name takes its root from the name of the sky god - Tengri. According to legend, heaven and earth joined together, which caused the formation of chaos. Tengri ruled over the sky, and Erlik - over the underworld. He was depicted as a creature with a bull's head and three eyes. With these eyes he could see past, present and future. Erlik was perceived as an evil deity, sending misfortunes.
Tengri had a wife, Umai, who patronized mothers and women in childbirth. Surprisingly, earlier the Turks considered themselves descendants of the wolf, depicting the animal on symbols related to the Turkic states (for example, on the flag of the Gagauz). Such totemism has survived even now, although it is quite rare.
In addition to Islam and Christianity, the Turks also practice Judaism and Buddhism.

dwelling

The Turks have always been nomads. Their traditional dwelling is a yurt, the walls of which were made of felt. This material is a compressed wool. The basis of the yurt is a wooden frame. To assemble an ordinary yurt, it took only 3 people and one hour of time. In disassembled form, yurts were transported over long distances, making nomadism.
It was customary to arrange a yurt only in a sunny place, away from trees. The door was installed so that it was facing east. This allowed sunlight to penetrate inside, forming a sundial (the hand was formed due to the special position of the poles).
Yurts were divided into male and female parts. Usually men were always located on the left. Things, weapons, tools and equipment for driving a horse were placed here. In the women's part they kept dishes, things of children, household utensils. In some cases, a curtain was used to help delimit the space. A hearth was placed in the center of the yurt, around which they sat down during the meal. The smoke came out through a special hole located in the center of the roof. Wealthy people could afford carpets, fabrics, expensive wooden furniture. Opposite the entrance was the most important part. A beautiful chair or armchair was usually placed there, on which the host, who received guests, sat. In rare cases, an honored guest was given the opportunity to sit on such a "throne". More often, guests were placed on small stools or on mats. There were a number of requirements that had to be observed while staying in the yurt. Violation of the rules could lead to the wrath of the owner. At best, the intruder was treated with disdain, like a dog. Here are a few rules to follow while in the yurt:

• you can’t step on the threshold;
• it is forbidden to pour fire in the hearth;
• do not touch the flame with a knife or other sharp objects;
• Don't throw trash into the fire.

When the Turks began to move to a settled way of life, they got wooden housing. Its feature was the height of the building.

1. The house was literally buried in the ground, only the roof was above ground level.
2. The main support was a wide pillar, on which a log-beam rested.
3. Poles rested on the beam.
4. Another row was laid on top of the poles, which was covered with a dense layer of straw and hay.
5. The floor was clay, along the walls a number of boards and additional supports for the platform were installed.

In such a house there was a stove on which dishes were placed. All other decoration depended on the wealth of the tenants.

Food

All representatives of the Turkic people eat plov. This dish can be considered nationwide. Turkic pilaf is cooked in lamb broth. Rice is fried in lard, onions, carrots, boiled lamb are added. All mix and put in a bowl with broth. The result is a kind of porridge, which is insisted for a long time. This dish is called palau.
Palau is eaten with hands, and the broth is drunk from a cup. There is another way to cook pilaf, which is to use lamb fat cut into small pieces. It is melted, fried a little, mixed with red pepper and salt. As soon as the fat turns red, add lamb, finely chopped onion, after a few minutes carrots, quince and raisins. Palau with sour cream is a very tasty and unusual dish.
Many Turks often have dairy products, wheat, various types of stew, sausages, horse ribs on the table. The Turks living in Uzbekistan love barbecue, manti, and have their own recipes for minced meat. In Russia, samsa pie is well known, many have tried lagman. These dishes are also often consumed by the Turks. A characteristic drink for the Turks is koumiss.

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