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THE SOUL of KAZAKHSTAN All Galleries
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Rites and Passages: The Circle of Life { 50 images } Created 25 Apr 2012

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  • Arguvan, Grandson of Absent, an Olympic Champion Akhal-Teke horse in the Lugovoi district.  Absent was the most successful horse in olympic history winning a gold medal, silver medal and two bronze medals in dressage at three separate Olympic games in the 1960's.
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  • Qiz Quu, or 'chasing the girl,' is another well-loved horseback game in Kazakhstan.  If the boy wins the race, he gets to kiss the girl on the ride back to the starting line.  if the girl wins, she gets to "whip" the boy on the ride back.  This game took place in the village of Zhibebai.
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  • Competitor in the game of Qiz Quu "chasing the girl".  This game took place in the village of Zhidebai, Kazakhstan
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  • Tenge-Alu, or "Picking up Coins," is a game in which a handkerchief is filled with money and placed on the ground.  A skilled rider gallops at breakneck speed, leans down and tries to snatch up the prize. Shieli
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  • Kazakh horsemen have earned a reputation as skilled and powerful riders that stretches back generations and millennia.  Children start riding when they are around three years old.  In this Bayge contest, young men race each other over rugged terrain for a preset distance. Furious, wild, exuberant and fearless - these are the characteristics of Kazakh horsemanship.
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  • Kokpar is a dramatic game in which two groups of 15-20 riders each struggle to keep possession of a two-year-old headless goat.  The winning team is awarded a feast of the goat.  It is also known as Buzkashi, anda a variation is to try to propel the goat carcass from the place of the competition to one's own home.  The game is played on special occassions like this festival in the village of Zhidebai, and is another contest  that was traditionally intended to strengthen a warrior's skills.
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  • In Audarispaq, the goal is to pull your opponent out of his saddle.  Many of the games, such as this wrestling match on horseback in Shieli, were originally intended to improve one's strength and ability as a warrior.
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  • Horse racing with steppe horse, Shiele Village, Kazakhstan
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  • Abdulkhak Turlybayev is known as 'The Eagle Man' because of his mastery of these magnificent creatures.  Kazakhs call men like Mr. Turlybayev 'Qusbegi,' or 'Lord of the Birds.'  Watching him work with his eagle quickly made me understand that what he has and feels transcends 'skill' - it rises to 'relationship.'  Kazakhs revere the golden eagle in part because they fly so high and close to the sun.  Pilots have reported seein them as high as 20,000 feet.
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  • Abdulkhak Turlybayev is known as 'The Eagle Man' because of his mastery of these magnificent creatures.  Kazakhs call men like Mr. Turlybayev 'Qusbegi,' or 'Lord of the Birds.'  Watching him work with his eagle quickly made me understand that what he has and feels transcends 'skill' - it rises to 'relationship.'  Kazakhs revere the golden eagle in part because they fly so high and close to the sun.  Pilots have reported seein them as high as 20,000 feet.
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  • Golden Eagles- Called Burkit in Kazakh-are trained by their owners from the time they are chicks to be hunters.  This one measures more than 104 centimeters (41 inches) from the tip of its bill to the end of its tail.  Its wing span measures two meters, or more than six feet.  These powerful birds can kill deer, fox and wolves.  Once plentiful in Central Asia, they are now becoming rare. Kazakhstan
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  • Abdulkhak Turlybayev is known as 'The Eagle Man' because of his mastery of these magnificent creatures.  Kazakhs call men like Mr. Turlybayev 'Qusbegi,' or 'Lord of the Birds.'  Watching him work with his eagle quickly made me understand that what he has and feels transcends 'skill' - it rises to 'relationship.'  Kazakhs revere the golden eagle in part because they fly so high and close to the sun.  Pilots have reported seein them as high as 20,000 feet.
    98020502-21-2.jpg
  • These scenes in Zenkov Cathedral reflect the fact that faiths of all peoples are once again free to be practiced and are drawing people back to islam, christianity, judaism, shamanism, sufism, tengrism and zoroastrianism throughout the country.
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  • These scenes in Zenkov Cathedral reflect the fact that faiths of all peoples are once again free to be practiced and are drawing people back to islam, christianity, judaism, shamanism, sufism, tengrism and zoroastrianism throughout the country.
    98040110-02-2.jpg
  • Svyato-Voznesensky cathedral is commonly called Zendkov cathedral after it builder, Andre Zenkov.  The Russian Orthodox edifice is in Almaty's Panfilov park.  Its construction, begun in 1904, is entirely of wood without the use of nails.  It was used as a natural history museum during the Soviet Era.  At 56 meters ( 184 feet)  its one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world.  It survived the earthquake of 1911 that devastated Almaty.
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  • A young girl watches the end of a wedding ceremony while waiting for her baptism to begin in Zenkov cathedral, Almaty Kazakhstan.
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  • A table is laden with bread and eggs at the christmas service of christ the savior,  a parish church in Almaty, for a "Good News" service before Easter.
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  • Today one can see striking images of Church and State in tolerance of each other.  One example is the sharing of important events like this commemorative ceremony for fallen world war II warriors at the Glory Memorial in Panfilov Park, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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  • Akhmed Yasavi bathhouse, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
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  • Parishoners bring cakes and decorated eggs to be blessed at Russian Orthodox Easter services.
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  • This handsome, modern mosque in Almaty was given to the people of Kazakhstan by Egypt and its President, Hosni Mubarrak.  The Egyptians also are helping plan an islamic university complex around the mosque.
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  • This handsome, modern mosque in Almaty was given to the people of Kazakhstan by Egypt and its President, Hosni Mubarrak.  The Egyptians also are helping plan an islamic university complex around the mosque.
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  • This sacred sit overlooks lake Burabay in northern Kazakhstan. Oqzhetpes, the stark rock formation in the background, means, 'the arrow cannot reach this place'.  The legend as told to us relates that when Abilay Khan was fighting the Oyrats, his army camped below this rocky hill.  The troops captured a beautiful princess and the Khan decreed that she would marry a Kazakh.  She agreed to accept the man who could shoot an arrow to the top of the hill.  All men failed on the first attempt.  On the second try, her true love's arrow reached the top.  Ther others were so engraged that they killed him.  the anquished princess threw herself into lake Burabay where she turned in the sphinx-like rock formation that protrudes from the water to this day.
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  • The ram's skull and horns at the Sultan Ake mosque signify a d desire for the deceased to be as close to the great spirit as the sheep and goats that climb hin in the mountains.
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  • Pommel on Kazakh horse saddle, 20th century.
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  • Mountain sheep are revered because they can climb to heights where the air and water are pure and they are close to the great spirit.  Statues of they are used on tombs in "cities of ancestors" like this one in Koshkurt-Ata near Aktau as symbols of this relationship with god.
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  • Zaure Imankulova is known as "The people's healer" in the village of Pokrovka.  When she was a young girl in Qizilorda, rabbi Levi Schneerslon taught her.  During her univeristy studies she became a leadr in the students' communist party and began to espouse atheism.  Years later while working in a clinic, she discovered she had healing powers beyond conventional medical practices and was able to heal a number of patients.  A few months later in a dream, a holy man from the 17th century told her that she must use this special gift to heal people.  She moved to Pokrovka and followed that admonition.
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  • Relatives recite muslim prayers during a ritual honoring the 25th anniversary of the passing of Zhangir Umbetov's father in the countryside near the village of Pokrovka in southeastern Kazakhstan.
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  • Muslim women pray at the Auezov jubilee celebrations at Borli-Aul in eastern Kazakhstan.
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  • "The afternoon we spent photographing the temple at Shakbak-Ata, we were privileged to watch a wonderful ritual unfold.  In the valley just below us , craftsmen were completing a lovely new mausoleum.  As they laid the final piece of gleaming white marble in place, a bus pulled up.  This in intself was surprise because the drive to this site was over an extremely rough and rocky track.  Out of the bus poured relatives: men, women and children, here to examine, approve, admire and videotape the new memorial .  After they were satisfied with their inspection, they set up a spot to cook dinner to celebrate the completion of the mausoleum."
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  • Spirit yurts, like this one at Koshkurt-Ata, take on a wide range of forms and incorporate poetry, sculpture and painting to illuminate the lives of those who have passed on.  These "cities of the ancestors" are in large measure the architectural heritage of the Kazakh nomads.  A story recorded by the historian Herodotus perhaps best illustrates their power and meaning to the Kazkahs, in 513 B.C., Darius I, king of Persia, attacked the Scythians in what is now Kazakhstan.  They continued to pull back, setting the Steppes afire as they went.  Frustrated, Darius sent a messengter to the Scythians to ask why they would not stand and fight.  Idanthyrsus, their ruler, responded with this threat: "I have never fled from a man in fear in days past or now...we have neither cities nor sown land for which we might fear...but if you needs must come to a fight with us quickly, there are our father's graves.  Find them and try to ruin them, and you will discover whether we will fight you or not."
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  • Kazakh tombs are often built in the shope of a Yurt in an open style-essentially "spirit yurts," near this in Katon-Karagai, there was a poem written by the children of Kakitai Kabodol Uly, Born October 5, 1931, passed on, August 3, 1997:  "Dearest  father, with young mind and blooming soul cruel life is singing about you its sad song.  Your children are full of thoughts about you, and miss you.  And there is no way that smiles can be returned.  What a pity that destiny is showing  its black side.  There is nobody whom I can complain to about it.  You, my father, are protecting with your spirit us, your children, the continuatioon of your life."
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  • A young dancer takes a break at a traditional performance in Panfilov Park near downtown Almaty.
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  • A young couple in modern versions of traditional wedding attire prepare for their marriage ceremony.  A brides's dress is often considered the zenith of the dressmaker's art.  her headdress is called a Saukele, and its design and ornamentation are laden with many levels of meaning and symbolism.
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  • Nursulu Aytanova with young Beknur and Amangeldy who are guests at the wedding in Shieli.
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  • During the ceremony, musicians begin to play traditional instruments while they recite the bride's lineage.  She bows each time the singer calls out the name of an ancestor. Shieli, Kazakhstan.
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  • Raushan Auezova, the bride, and her attendants Madina and Shynar begin the "unveiling of the bride," the part of the wedding called the Betashar, at a traditional Kazakh marriage ceremony.
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  • The bride,  Raushan Auezova, pours fat onto the fire in the village of Shieli in the Qizilorda region.  It is considered an act of cleansing as well as an offering to ancestors, and it marks the beginning of the marriage ceremony.
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  • Clan Matriarchs in Shieli (left to right) Darkhan Sadenova, Shadan Tonbetova, Manap Mykhanova and Uljan Sametobva gather to join in the joyous rituals of presenting the baby in the cradle and cutting the cord.
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  • Besikke Salu, or "Putting in the cradle," is a ceremony for blessing a new baby.  This entails placing the infant in its cradle and , to ensure blessings, putting a small mirror or brush under the pillow for a baby girl or a whip and knife for a boy.  A burning sprig of sage or a flame, as picutred here, is passed over the cradle as a symbol of cleansing, life and protection.  a grandmother then pinches the baby's nose to make it cry, which assures a calm, deep sleep afterwards.  Arailym Sametova is the baby being blessed here. Her mother, Gulmarzhan Ikhanova, is at left, and the godmother, Galiya Usenbaeva, is the young woman behind the cradle.
    98050803-28.jpg
  • Besikke Salu, or "Putting in the Cradle," is a ceremony for blessing a new baby.  This entails placing the infant in its cradle and, to ensure blessings, putting a small mirror or brush under the pillow for a baby girl or a whip and knife for a boy.  A burning sprig of sage or a flame, as pictured here, is passed over the cradle as a symbol of cleansing, life and protection.  A grandmother then pinches the baby's nose to make it cry, which assures a calm, deep sleep afterwards.  Arailym Sametova is the baby being blessed here.  Her mother, Gulmarzhan Ikhanova, is at left, and the Godmother, Galiya Usenbaeva, is the young woman behind the cradle.
    98050804-20.jpg
  • Kazakh mothers and toddler's first step ritual, Kazakhstan
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  • Kazakh grandmother ties a cord around the ankles of the toddler marking the first step  Shieli, Kazakhstan
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  • Altibaqan, nomadic style swing.
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  • Eternal Flame commemorating Kazakh soliders who gave their lives deafting the Nazis during the Great War, Panfilov Park, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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  • Helianthus blossom, Kazakhstan
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  • "Prayer cloths on the memorial in Narynkol near the sacred mountain Khan-Tengri venerate Raiymebek, a Kazakh warrior who fought the Dzungars (Mongols) in the 1700s.  His name became  a battle cry for his tribe, the Alban.  We came upon this memorial on the day before we were to return to the United States after finishing our last shoot, fittingly, at the summit of Khan-Tengri.  I had carried a prayer cloth with me during the yer we photographed in Kazakhstan and still had it wih me.  I tied my prayer cloth to the memorial; and as my wife, Patti, and I drove away, a double-rainbow formed over the Steppes, a fitting marker after a remarkable year of discovery."
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  • "Prayer cloths on the memorial in Narynkol near the sacred mountain Khan-Tengri venerate Raiymebek, a Kazakh warrior who fought the Dzungars (Mongols) in the 1700s.  His name became  a battle cry for his tribe, the Alban.  We came upon this memorial on the day before we were to return to the United States after finishing our last shoot, fittingly, at the summit of Khan-Tengri.  I had carried a prayer cloth with me during the yer we photographed in Kazakhstan and still had it wih me.  I tied my prayer cloth to the memorial; and as my wife, Patti, and I drove away, a double-rainbow formed over the Steppes, a fitting marker after a remarkable year of discovery."
    98081420-35-2.jpg
  • A tree by an isolated mountain stream is covered by prayer cloths.  They represent the Kazakh belief that the tree of life connects mother earth and the great spirit.  People always choose trees near water - especially moving water - and often in the mountains, for this ritual.  Both factors are believed to bring the prayers nearer to god.
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  • Honoring ancestors is an important practice in traditional Kazakh faiths.  This sacrifice of a sheep at the "Tree of Life" was part of the ritual to mark the passing of Zhangir Umbetov's father.  Afterwards, a portion of the meat of the sheep is given to each guest.  The ritual is about the affirmation of life not loss, and the acknowledgment that one's spirit lives on.
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