Round table "Acquaintance with the Kazakh culture through musical instruments, traditional clothes and national dishes" in Iran

On Tuesday, November 13, 2018, L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, together with the Iranian Allameh Tabataba'i University and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a regular round table at the Iran-Kazakhstan Academic and Cultural Center at ATU on the theme: “Acquaintance with Kazakh culture through musical instruments, traditional clothing and national dishes”. The event was attended by students, faculty and administrative staff of the Allameh Tabataba'i University (ATU), a representative of the Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies. A second-year PhD student of the International Relations specialty at the Eurasian National University Tyulyubayeva Akmaral at the beginning of the program presented a presentation entitled “Musical Instruments and Traditional Clothes of the Kazakhs”, where the male and female national clothes of the Kazakh people and such musical instruments as sazsyrnay, dombyra, zhetigen, sherter, dabyl, kobyz, asatayak, taituyak, sybyzgy, dauylpaz, shankobyz were demonstrated.

Created in 2014 in the East Kazakhstan region in order to edify the love of the musical historical heritage of the Kazakh people, the ethnic ensemble “Babalar Sazy” gave a concert after the presentation, with the aim of visualize the sound of musical instruments, the specifics of the Kazakh melody and the peculiarities of Kazakh national clothes. The ensemble consists of musicians-instrumentalists: Abughazy Kanat (artistic director; dombyra, sherter), Zhatakbai Tolghanai (kyl kobyz), Orynbekova Sandughash (zhetigen), Tileulenova Aizhan (dombyra, shіnkildek, shankobyz), Ahmetov Kalymbek (sazsyrnai, shankobyz, dangara, dabyl, throat singing) and Kuzhimanov Elaman (singer; instruments of dombyra, dangara, shankobyz, asatayak).

 

The ensemble participated and won prizes in regional, republican and international music festivals several times. At the round table, two works were performed: the musical work Nurghisa Tilendiev “Zhekpe zhek” and the song of Askhat Akhatuly “Dombyra” performed by Elaman Kuzhimanov. It must say that in the spring of 2018 the group came to Iran with a special concert program, and the people of Tehran had the opportunity to hear the sounds of such a distant and, at the same time, such close and familiar Kazakh steppe.

Later, the presentation “Kazakh national dishes” was presented to the audience, where the following dishes from the traditional cuisine of the Kazakhs were demonstrated: beshbarmak, kuyrdak, bauyrsak, shelpek, kurt, gent, pilaf, kymyz, etc.

Unfortunately, due to objective reasons, it was not possible to treat the Iranian guests with all culinary dishes, but doctoral student Tyulyubayeva Akmaral and an employee of the Kazakh section of the Pars Today website at the Iranian television and radio company Omarkhanova Gaukhar, who was once again invited to the event, jointly organized the Kazakh dastarkhan thus creating a warm, friendly atmosphere in the audience.

Meanwhile, while the distinguished guests and lovers of Kazakh culture and traditions tasted dishes and appreciated the culinary abilities of Kazakhstan girls, in the building of the University of Allama Tabatabai there was a beautiful melody of Saken Turybsbekov “Konіl tolkyny” performed by Gaukhar Omarkhanova.

Doctoral student Tyulyubaeva Akmaral also demonstrated her modest abilities as an amateur performer of the folk melody "Zhastar bi" at the dombyra. One of the goals of this performance was the demonstration of the live sound of the Kazakh national musical instrument.

At the end of the introductory part of the event, a small quiz was held in the form of a game on a round table, the winners of which were presented with small memorial presents in the form of icons depicting sights of Kazakhstan. Thus, the students motivated at the beginning of the program were very attentive, tried to memorize the information received and showed their first knowledge in the field of culture of the Kazakh people.

  At the end of the round table, associate professor of the Faculty of Central Asian and Caucasian Studies, Director of the Department of International Scientific Cooperation of the Allameh Tabataba'i University, Dr. Mandana TISHEYAR made a short speech, expressing gratitude to the L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University for cooperation, organizing from 8 to 13 November this year a trip to Astana of two ATU teachers Dr. Tabatabai and Dr. Mumeni and Master students of the specialty “Central Asia and Caucasus Studies”, and appreciating the efforts of the Kazakhstan side in organizing and conducting scientific and cultural events in the framework of cooperation two universities. (www.parstoday.com/kk)

 

The office of the Iran-Kazakhstan Academic and Cultural Center at ATU itself was decorated with elements of Kazakh culture and photographs of models in traditional attire.Dummies were installed at the entrance to the office: a girl with a boy in Kazakh clothes who seemed to invite guests to sit at the Kazakh dastarkhan (table).

An exhibition was also organized at which decorative and applied arts of Kazakhstan from the personal collection of Gaukhar Omarkhanova were demonstrated: dolls in national clothes, products made of felt, leather and wood, musical instrument dombyra, whip, handmade toys.

Several copies of a men's costume and a woman's jacket were put on display, which could be tried on, as guests did, and captured in a memorable photo. The “Kazakh bride” aroused the keen interest of Iranian girls, in the role of which was Shaidullayeva Aisulu, the designer of the fraternal people of Kyrgyzstan, specially invited to this event. In memory of Kazakhstan, photos of the art and creativity of the Kazakh people were distributed.

To convey information to the potential audience about the upcoming round table, poster was posted in some buildings of Allameh Tabatabai University, and invitations were sent via e-mail and other types of social media.

Along with the employee of Pars Today, the photographer of the newspaper “Saye", Alireza Nyakan, was also invited to cover the event in the Iranian media. Also, the information will be posted on the official website of the IRAS (Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies) www.iras.ir.

Tyulyubayeva A.