Guest
Aisha Bibi symbolizes enduring love. Details of her life and death are scant and what little is known is largely conjecture. The legend says she was young, beautiful and suffered a tragically premature death. No one knows whether it was a heartbroken lover or grieving father who built the mausoleum. It is clear though that, like India’s Taj Mahal, it is a lasting tribute to one who was greatly loved. Conversely, a great deal is known about Hoja Ahmed Yasawi (1093 – 1166), widely credited with bringing Islam to Kazakhstan. He founded a Sufi order that still exists to this day. A great poet and teacher, he preached kindness, tolerance and meditative reflection. Some say that three visits to Yasawi’s mausoleum equate to a pilgrimage to Mecca. Even though much of his writing survives and is widely studied, others legends about him have added to the region’s rich tapestry of folklore. Both characters; Islamic scholar and youthful beauty, have provoked a host of legends. People travel great distances to pray at their shrines. These are the stories that Kazakh children grow up hearing and which a panel of experts discuss and explain in “Legends” Video by Sergey Sanovkin
