Muslim Tombstones of Kamak (Turkestan Region) as a Historical and Archaeological Source

Abstract

In 2013, an archaeological and ethnographic expedition of the Scientific Research Institute of Culture LLP explored the southern regions of Kazakhstan. The main priority was given to field research on the issues of archaeology, ethnography, culture and art of nomads. In the village of Karnak, Turkestan Region, unique tombstones were discovered, which are an integral component of the moral foundations of Muslim culture. Karnak necropolis is located in the northern part of the village of the same name and covers more than 3 hectares of area, the main part of which is occupied by modern memorial complexes of the 20th century. The researchers' interest was aroused by a part of the Karnak cemetery, where monuments of funerary and cult architecture of the late Middle Ages and modern times were located. The novelty of this study is associated with an attempt to clarify a number of provisions in the study of the funeral and cult architecture of South Kazakhstan. Many people believe that traditional burial and cult architecture has survived only in the western regions of the republic. Nevertheless, the Karnak memorial complex studied for the first time and the materials contained in it prove that an attempt to reconstruct the history of the tombstones, identify its origins, the factors that caused the formation of various attributes are still far from being solved. The study of burial and cult architecture in the context of Muslim archaeology makes it possible to solve a number of issues in the humanities dedicated to the memorial complex and folk craft, including the stone-cutting art of the southern regions of Kazakhstan.