IRCICA’s scholar Prof. Ashirbek Muminov presented a research paper at the Second International Symposium “The Wisdom Tradition from Turkestan to Anatolia: Abdal Ata”

Hitit University in Çorum, Türkiye, organized, with the contributions of the Turkish Historical Society, the Second International Symposium on “The Wisdom Tradition from Turkestan to Anatolia: Abdal Ata” on its campus on 26-27 April 2024. The symposium evoked the thoughts and teachings of scholars and philosophers such as Yunus Emre, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, Mevlana and Koyunbaba that embraced all humanity and called for its unity and solidarity. As underlined by Assoc. Prof. Zekeriya Işık, Director of the Social Sciences Vocational School and Head of the Steering Committee, their teachings transmitted from Turkestan, Khorasan and Iraq to Anatolia and the Balkans had determining effects on political, social, economic and cultural developments along with their spiritual and religious significance. Abdal Ata was one of the dervishes who played a role in the expansion of Islam and Sufi traditions in Anatolia, as well as in the solution of problems relating to security and settlements. In his speech at the opening, the Mayor of Çorum Dr. Halil İbrahim Aşgın said that Çorum is a city that symbolized peace and fraternity due to its being the land of the Hittites, who were the signatories of the first known peace treaty in history. As to the Governor of Çorum, Assoc. Prof. Zülkif Dağlı, he said that Sufis scholars and teachers have had an important share in the history of peoples around the Muslim world and emphasized the importance of transmitting awareness of their traditions to future generations. Following the opening addresses, Prof. Ashirbek Muminov, IRCICA’s Consultant for Central Asian Studies presented a paper titled “The Study of the Yasawian Culture in Kazakhstan”. The symposium received 66 papers contributed by 78 participants from 10 countries: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, France, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tatarstan (R.F.) and Türkiye. The symposium was conducted in hybrid format; its papers will be published by the University.