Review Article

CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE

Number: 117 March 15, 2026
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CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the symbolic meanings, educational functions, and cultural continuity in the modern era of the Kara Şañırak motif and institution, which holds a central place in Kazakh folk prose and cultural memory, from an interdisciplinary perspective. The research is significant due to the limited number of systematic studies addressing the topic at the intersection of cultural semiotics, ethnopedagogy, and folklore, and it seeks to shed light on the transmission mechanisms of intangible cultural heritage. Adopting a qualitative research design, this study interprets data derived from the semiotic and descriptive analysis of ethnographic and folkloric texts (such as ertegi, ańyz, and batyrlar jırı), traditional legal texts (e.g., Zheti Zhargy), and contemporary cultural practices (e.g., monuments and national symbols) through the theoretical frameworks of ethnosymbolism and cultural semiotics. The findings reveal that Kara Şañırak is not merely an architectural element but also a powerful symbol of familial continuity, respect for ancestors, and the intergenerational transmission of moral values. The term kara is shown to possess semantic depth, conveying venerability, sanctity, and historicity rather than merely denoting a color. Furthermore, the institution, structured around its inheritance by the youngest son (kenje bala), is actively reproduced in contemporary contexts, such as national identity construction and the representation of collective trauma. The study confirms the formative and educational role of Kara Şañırak within Kazakh culture, highlighting its function as a dynamic indicator of cultural resilience and identity continuity by bridging traditional values with modern contexts. It also suggests that future research should explore the comparative reflections of this symbol across the Turkic world.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University (Kazakhstan, Turkistan)

Thanks

cok Teşekkür ederiz

References

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  6. Eleukenov, Ş. Mağjan (Ömiri men Şığarmaşılığı). Almaty: Sanat, 1995
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  8. https://adebiportal.kz

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Turkish Folklore Outside Türkiye

Journal Section

Review Article

Publication Date

March 15, 2026

Submission Date

April 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 8, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 117

APA
Adiyeva, P., & Beskempirova, A. (2026). CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE. Türk Kültürü Ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi, 117, 503-516. https://doi.org/10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806
AMA
1.Adiyeva P, Beskempirova A. CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE. Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi. 2026;(117):503-516. doi:10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806
Chicago
Adiyeva, Pakizat, and Aigul Beskempirova. 2026. “CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE”. Türk Kültürü Ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi, nos. 117: 503-16. https://doi.org/10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806.
EndNote
Adiyeva P, Beskempirova A (March 1, 2026) CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE. Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi 117 503–516.
IEEE
[1]P. Adiyeva and A. Beskempirova, “CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE”, Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi, no. 117, pp. 503–516, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806.
ISNAD
Adiyeva, Pakizat - Beskempirova, Aigul. “CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE”. Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi. 117 (March 1, 2026): 503-516. https://doi.org/10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806.
JAMA
1.Adiyeva P, Beskempirova A. CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE. Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi. 2026;:503–516.
MLA
Adiyeva, Pakizat, and Aigul Beskempirova. “CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE”. Türk Kültürü Ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi, no. 117, Mar. 2026, pp. 503-16, doi:10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806.
Vancouver
1.Pakizat Adiyeva, Aigul Beskempirova. CULTURAL AND FOLKLORIC PERSPECTIVE ON KARA ŞAÑIRAK AS A SYMBOLIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONSTRUCT IN KAZAKH FOLK PROSE. Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi. 2026 Mar. 1;(117):503-16. doi:10.60163/tkhcbva.1671806

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