The Rational, Mystical and Mytho-Poetical in Culture of Central Asia Muslims (19<sup>th</sup> – Early 20<sup>th</sup> Centuries)

Abstract

The relics of written culture of Muslims of Central Asia of the late period (before Soviet time), not connected directly with a book tradition, are considered in the article. The author accents attention on the “small forms” — various extractions, records, qit‘a with philosophical, didactic, professional-practical and others content. Mainly they are poetical texts in Persian-Tajik and Turkic-Uzbek languages. The results of an examination show variety types of design for a present kind of literary monuments in the traditional Muslim society: from utilitarian and everyday occurrence for forms of records, and to highly artistic pieces of calligraphic art of qit‘a. All of them independently of the “forms of organization” in any case were presented at the everyday life, professional activity and spiritual searching of a Central Asian man. They formed a circle of his cultural interests and values, thoughts and sensations — from pragmatic and rational to philosophical and emotional aesthetic. Common and dominating was mythopoetical consciousness. It determined condition of culture in many cases, and directions of activity of diff erent intellectual forces in the society. Pieces of qit‘a and other written texts used in the article are from the collection of author, and majority of them are published for the fi rst time.