In Astana, an international scientific symposium entitled “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture, and Identity” was held with the participation of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. As part of the event, a unique exhibition was organized, showcasing historical projects and rare archival materials prepared by scholars of the Eurasian Research Institute affiliated with our university.
The symposium was attended by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, Sayassat Nurbek, public and state figures, representatives of ministries and foreign diplomatic missions, leading archaeologists, historians, and orientalists, as well as staff members of museums, museum-reserves, and research institutes.
The exhibition was dedicated to presenting the historical and cultural heritage of the Golden Horde, which flourished across the Eurasian steppe during the 13th–15th centuries, through archaeological artifacts discovered in Kazakhstan, manuscript collections, and archival materials.
One of the most valuable sections of the exhibition featured rare historical sources related to the Golden Horde era that had been collected from archives around the world and introduced into academic circulation by researchers of the Eurasian Research Institute. In particular, the exhibition displayed facsimile editions of three decrees, three diplomatic letters, and two historical manuscripts from the Golden Horde period, as well as digital versions of eight manuscripts.
Among the exhibits were the 1381 decree of Tokhtamysh, the historical decree of Timur Qutlugh, letters sent by Ulugh Muhammad and Ahmed Khan to Ottoman sultans, as well as rare 14th-century manuscripts on astronomy, medicine, religion, mathematics, and literature.
Particularly valuable manuscripts included Khusraw wa Shirin by Qutb, Gulistan bit-Turki by Sayf-i Sarayi, the astronomical treatise of Kamaladdin al-Turkmani, and the medical manuscripts of Ahmad Kilani, all of which are highly valued within the international academic community. These materials were obtained from archives and libraries in Turkey, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Iran, the Netherlands, and Russia.
In addition, university scholars presented previously little-known diplomatic correspondence between the Kazakh Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. In particular, facsimile copies of official letters exchanged between Kazakh Khan Kaiyp Muhammad and Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III were displayed together for the first time.
The exhibition also featured the project “Interactive Scientific Historical Map of Central Asia,” developed by university scholars. This digital platform is a unique scholarly resource integrating historical and political maps of Central Asia from the 12th to the 19th centuries, along with ancient cities and cultural heritage sites. Within the framework of the project, more than 170 historical maps were digitized and made accessible through a timeline, map archive, and cultural heritage modules.
Using modern geoinformation technologies, the interactive map demonstrates the territorial changes, trade routes, and cultural spaces of historical states such as the Ulus of Jochi, Kazakh Khanate, Kara-Khanid Khanate, Nogai Horde, and Moghulistan.
It is worth noting that this interactive map and all historical materials included within it were specially developed and are stored on dedicated servers at the Eurasian Research Institute of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Akhmed Yassawi.
The exhibition also showcased 3D reconstructions prepared by university scholars, artificial intelligence-generated models of Golden Horde-era clothing and military tactics, and a transcription platform designed for reading Chagatai manuscripts.
This exhibition demonstrated the university’s internationally recognized scientific potential in the fields of Turkology, history, digital humanities, and manuscript studies. The many years of dedicated work carried out by our scholars once again proved that the Golden Horde was not merely a military and political state, but also a great civilization distinguished by advanced science, diplomacy, urban culture, and written traditions.
On behalf of the university community, we express our sincere gratitude to the researchers and staff of the Eurasian Research Institute, as well as to all specialists engaged in the study of archives, manuscripts, and historical heritage, whose efforts contributed to the implementation of these important scientific projects. May your work aimed at restoring the nation’s history and reviving the shared heritage of the Turkic world continue to achieve great success.
In this regard, the university also plans to support the establishment of the Turkic Civilization Center in Turkistan, initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, by contributing the long-term research findings and scholarly works of its scientists. In his speech, the President emphasized the importance of making broad use of the university’s scientific and academic potential and expressed confidence in the institution. The university community will make every effort to justify this trust.
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