Español
  Français

The Culture, Traditions, and Heritage of Kazakhstan

You are here: Countries / Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has a culture that is largely influenced by the nomadic ways of the Turkic tribes. Such culture is now blended with the lifestyles of the West, the Chinese and most especially the Russians. The Kazakh people were nomadic themselves and this nomadic life continues to be reflected in both cultural symbols and ways of living. Some Kazakhs, especially in the villages, still use the yurt, a traditional movable house, which is a remnant of the main architecture of the Kazakh nomads. In this dwelling unit, the Kazakhs would offer their guests in a dastarkhan, a low table made of wood. Although the yurt is no longer widely used, except in national celebrations, it serves as a reminder that the Kazakh people were a nomadic group in a certain part of their history. A mixture of influences on the Kazakh culture is evident in wall carpets and rugs whose striking color combinations and geometric patterns seem to be unmatched anywhere in its neighbor countries. Carpets were originally made to decorate the yurt, but are now found sold with various handicrafts in a number of marketplaces and souvenir shops.

The Kazakhs are also skillful in making beautifully embroidered headdresses, dresses, bags and saddle cloths. They also make the country’s national dress or costume, which varies by regions, for both men and women. The men’s national costume is called chapan while the women’s national dress is white cotton with silk dress and an embroidered velvet waistcoat.

Already, the country owns the biggest name in its cultural history in the person of Abag Kunanbaev, a 19th century poet, who translated major Russian literature to the Kazakh language. He is also said to have launched or initiated efforts to make Kazakh as a literary language of the country.