NEGOTIATING KAZAKH IDENTITY THROUGH THE ALTAY VILLAGE FESTIVAL IN TÜRKIYE

Aray RAKHIMZHANOVA

doi:10.32523/3080-1281-2026-154-1-252-266

Authors

Aray RAKHIMZHANOVA Astana IT University Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9595-5341

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32523/3080-1281-2026-154-1-252-266

Keywords:

Kazakhs in Turkey, ethnic identity, cultural festivals, diaspora, minority

Abstract

Cultural festivals are unique events where people celebrate their ethnic identity through rituals and performances. This paper discusses the brotherhood and thanksgiving festival that took place July 19-21, 2019, in a Kazakh village called Altay in the Ulukişla district, Niğde province, Türkiye. By conducting an ethnographic study based on qualitative participant observation, this paper highlights the importance of the Altay village festival in creating and reinforcing a Kazakh ethnic identity in Türkiye. The festival shows the interplay of the different experiences of Kazakh villagers from Türkiye, from the original homeland, Altay mountains in eastern Turkestan, and the new homeland in Kazakhstan after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The paper focuses on the social and political dimensions of the Kazakh cultural festival in Altay village, including the aims of its participants and organisers. The results indicate the complexities of Kazakh identity, which were vividly showcased during the festival. In this context, it is argued that Kazakh identity is not a fixed entity; instead, it is a flexible concept that is changed, negotiated, and mythologized in this village festival.

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Author Biography

Aray RAKHIMZHANOVA , Astana IT University

PhD, Astana IT University, 55/11 Mangilik El avenue, 010000, Astana, Kazakhstan

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