Preliminary Preservation of the Bodies of the Deceased in the Funeral Rites of Kazakhs (Based on the Materials of Archaeological, Historical and Folklore-Literary Sources)

Research on the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi reveals that Kazakh funeral rites have maintained a tradition of deferred burials, influenced by both nomadic practices and Islamic norms. The study finds that while Islam introduced changes, such as the inclusion of Koranic prayers, many pre-existing customs were adapted to align with Sharia without losing their cultural significance. This practice, rooted in early Eurasian steppe traditions, involved preserving bodies temporarily before burial, often for notable individuals like khans, batyrs, and biys, who were later interred at the mausoleum. The research combines archaeological, historical, and folklore-literary sources to trace this continuity, highlighting how Kazakhs harmonized ancestral veneration with Islamic traditions, such as memorial dinners on specific days (e.g., third, seventh, fortieth day) and annual sacrifices.

Iskakov, K. A., Umitkaliev, U. U., Tleugabulov, D. T., & Dukombaiev, A. T. (2022). Preliminary Preservation of the Bodies of the Deceased in the Funeral Rites of Kazakhs (Based on the Materials of Archaeological, Historical and Folklore-Literary Sources). Vestnik NSU. Series: History and Philology, 21(7), 150–162. https://doi.org/10.25205/1818-7919-2022-21-7-150-162