Typology of legends related to sacred objects in the Turkestan region

Abstract

The main indicator of the religious-spiritual, cultural, historical peace of any people is the legends and tales that have come down orally or in writing in relation to the region, land and water, famous people. They have several social, psychological functions. First of all, it strengthens the historical memory of the people, performs a unifying function of the country, as well as instills such important values as solidarity, unity, patriotism through the educational process. From this point of view, legends and tales about sacred objects located in a particular region, place are of particular importance. Sacred objects are often identified in the nature of natural, archaeological, religious and places of worship, directly related to a memorable event or a person with a special feature, supernatural phenomena, miracles, mysteries. In all regions of Kazakhstan, such places are often visited. Especially in the Turkestan region, there are many monuments of religious significance, such as mausoleums, mazars, sagas, minarets, mosques, madrasas, khanaka, kyluet, etc. and natural objects such as caves, mountains, hills, rocks, lakes, groves. Local residents consider these places sacred, holy, and over time, various legends, rituals and traditions appeared here. When all this is widely studied, such phenomena as collective common consciousness, cultural identity, spiritual worldview and their constituent positions will be identified on a scientific basis. The article analyzes the content, structural and functional features of legends related to sacred objects in the Turkestan region. In the study, legends are classified typologically and their importance in historical, cultural, religious and mythological contexts is considered. The purpose of the article is to weigh and systematize the models of knowledge stored in the memory of the people related to the knowledge of the sacred space in the Turkestan region.

Keywords: Turkestan, sacred geography, legends, typology, sacred objects, folklore, historical memory.