BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16. On May 14–16, 2025, the city of Turkistan (Kazakhstan) hosted the International Symposium titled “The Legacy of Yasawi in the Dialogue of Times and Cultures: Humanistic Landmarks and Contemporary Challenges”. The event was attended by the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Mrs. Aktoty Raimkulova, TurkicWorld reports.
Speaking at the opening of the symposium, Mrs. Aktoty Raimkulova emphasized the special significance of Turkistan as the spiritual capital of the Turkic World and noted that the teachings of the great philosopher Khoja Ahmed Yasawi continue to serve as a moral compass in the modern era. She presented the key initiatives of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation aimed at preserving and promoting Turkic heritage. These include restoration projects of historical monuments, the creation of a digital catalog and the international platform TurkicHeritage, the establishment of Turkic Culture Centers at leading universities in Turkic countries and beyond, as well as the advancement of nominations for Turkic epics and traditional crafts to UNESCO heritage lists.
Particular attention in her speech was given to the Foundation's initiative to translate Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s "Diwani Hikmet" into Azerbaijani — a significant step toward making Yasawi's spiritual legacy more accessible to Turkic peoples.The symposium served as an important scientific and spiritual platform for discussing modern-day challenges through the lens of Yasawi’s humanistic legacy and Turkic philosophical thought.
It should be noted that the opening ceremony featured welcoming addresses by Mr. Erlan Karin, State Counselor of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mrs. Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Nurlkhan Kusherov, Akim of Turkistan Region, Mr. Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (also moderator of the plenary session), Mr. Devin DeWeese, Professor at Indiana University (USA), Mr. Ali Rafet Ozkan, Professor at Ankara University (Türkiye).
The plenary and breakout sessions featured presentations by leading researchers and scholars from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Japan, Germany, India, Russia, Italy, China, and the United States.
