Culture

Culture

The tribes of Kyrgyz people lived in Siberia in the beginning and then later they came down to Siberia and settled there. Their principal occupation in their life was cattle- breeding, they also took care of sheep and horses, which were the most important animals, but also cows and goats were elevated. Horse - back riding is one of the most noteworthy part of Kyrgyz culture and nomadic life in general, therefore there are many traditional games played with the help of horses.

There are different types of horse-back riding games enthusiastically played even nowadays especially for the big festivals. They usually achieve them during the festivals or shows, and the high skill of riding the horses, where the moves are mostly derived from every-day life from generation to generation. Boys learn how to look after domestic animals by helping the adults and they start from the early ages.

Girls also learn how to sew and knit since their early childhood, the interesting carpets that they make take months or years of work. The most popular carpets are Shyrdak and Ala-Kiyiz , which are both complete of felt on top of which they embroider different patterns , that are naturally extracted.

These wonderful carpets are not only the best manufacture of Kyrgyz people but also one of the main national symbols of the Kyrgyz life. For instance the yurt is covered with felt all over and can be found everywhere in the pastures or villages. Yurts are still part of every-day life of the people in living Kyrgyzstan even in big cities: You find street-cafés all over the places, serving local meals, and also families in large towns still erect the yurt on the most important lifetime events, such as the child's birth, a marriage or a funeral. The significance of it is illustrated in the flag of the Republic: It is of red color with a circle in the middle part. It is the roof crown of the yurt, with its typical wooden circle and the crossed sticks in its middle.

Yurt is portable nomadic dwelling that has many useful purposes. It has a wooden construction with felt covers. This whole structure is fixed with small short leather-ribbons (instead of nails) and ropes made from animals' hair. The decoration is spread out universally inside the yurt: women like decorating with these carpets the walls and spread on the floor, and the "Djuk" which takes at the far end of the yurt, conflicting to the entrance: at this place there are bed sheets that are feast at night on the floor and offer a soft and warm place for spending overnight, but during daytime they staple and covered with a lovely cloth, forming the back part of the place for the guests.

There is a little stove right in the middle of the yurt for culinary and warming the house. People can't get along without using it even in the summer time in those high-altitude regions, especially if the weather is cold. The yurt is strictly separated between men's side and women's side. For instance you can find kitchen utilities, pottery and everything needed for handicraft and sewing only on the right hand side of the yurt. The tackle for hunting, fishing, horseback riding and everything for the sheep are put on the left side of the entrance.