25 March 2016
The Presentation of the book «Shyrdak, the Kyrgyz Felt Carpet» of 360 pages in three languages (Kyrgyz, Russian and English) within the series «Beauty in Harmony with Nature» took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 18 March, 2016. The book was published in order to increase the awareness of the general public about the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kyrgyz people. The book also introduces the readers to the leading masters of the Kyrgyz shyrdaks, as well as highlights the efforts of various public organizations and international organizations to preserve and promote the Kyrgyz shyrdak.
In this connection, the nomination «Ala-kiyiz and Shyrdak: the Art of Kyrgyz Traditional Felt Carpets” was inscribed in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Endangered and in Need of Urgent Safeguarding at the Seventh Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France in December, 2012.During the year of 2016 Kyrgyzstan must report to UNESCO about the measures that were undertaken since 2012 on national and international levels in order to transfer Ala-kiyiz and Shyrdak from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, into the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Most of the materials for this publication were acquired and gathered through an extensive work conducted since the middle of 1980’s by the specialists in handicraft sector. Also, the research of the Kyrgyz traditional crafts by CACSARC-kg, supported by the Christensen Foundation (2009-2011), provided a wide database.
Cover page of the Book ©CACSARC-kg
Designers, photographers, poets, anthropologists and artisans are among the people who contributed to the creation of this book. Dinara Chochunbaeva, an expert on development of traditional crafts, is an initiator of “Shyrdak, the Kyrgyz Felt Carpet”. Zhenishgul Ozbekova and Aziza Okeeva, the experts on Kyrgyz traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage, were involved as members of the Editorial Board.
The book was published by Central Asian Crafts Support Association’s Resource Center in Kyrgyzstan – CACSARC-kg with the approval of the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO, and with the financial support of Karganbek Samakov, a businessman and public person.
Part of the edition will be donated to the public libraries, museums and educational institutions. Also, books are available for sale to the public. Proceeds from the sales will be used to continue to preserve the cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people.
At present time, the Public foundation CACSARC-kg is working on the next books “The Yurt” and “Manas”, which will be published within the same book series “Beauty in Harmony with Nature”.
Contact tel. numbers for information concerning partnership opportunities: (+996) 312 620 385, (+996) 555 960 577, (+996) 550 270 684
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/presentation-of-the-book-shyrdak-the-kyrgyz-felt-carpet