TWO-VOLUME “TURKISTAN” ENCYCLOPEDIA PRESENTED IN ASTANA WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE TURKIC CULTURE AND HERITAGE FOUNDATION

On October 22, 2026, a solemn presentation ceremony of the two-volume “Turkistan” encyclopedia was held at the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, with the joint support and assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

The comprehensive 880-page scholarly publication explores Turkistan not only as a modern city and region of Kazakhstan, but also as one of the most important historical and spiritual centers of Turkic civilization. The Editor-in-Chief of the two-volume encyclopedia and Head of the Project is Academician Darkhan Kydyrali, while the Responsible Editor is Turdykul Shanbay, Candidate of Philological Sciences.

During the ceremony, Adviser to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Malik Otarbayev, on behalf of the Head of State, solemnly presented Letters of Appreciation accompanied by special “Altyn Barys” badges to Turdykul Shanbay and the publication’s Responsible Editor, Zhandos Badeluly, in recognition of their significant contributions to the preparation of the encyclopedia.

Addressing the ceremony, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, emphasized the particular importance of such fundamental scholarly projects in preserving and systematizing the shared historical and cultural memory of the Turkic world. The President of the Foundation highlighted the role of Turkistan as one of the most significant centers of the common Turkic civilization, noting that the encyclopedia would serve as a valuable scholarly resource for future generations.

As part of the event, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation conferred the honorary title of “Ambassador of Turkic Culture and Heritage” upon Academician Darkhan Kydyrali and Academician Adil Akhmetov in recognition of their significant contributions to the study and promotion of Turkic heritage. In addition, Turdykul Shanbay, the Responsible Editor of the publication, and Agil Jamal, a prominent journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the Azerbaijani news portal “Turkistan.az”, were awarded special Certificates of Appreciation by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

It should be noted that work on the encyclopedia was carried out between 2021 and 2025. More than 300 scholars and researchers contributed to its preparation, studying and analyzing over 4,000 names, terms, and concepts.

The ceremony was attended by state and public figures, prominent scholars, representatives of the intellectual community, as well as heads and representatives of diplomatic missions of the Turkic states, including the Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan.