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The exhibition of the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan displays the specific attributes of the nomadic cultures of Central Asia from the 8th century B.C. to the beginning of the 20th century.
The first part of the exhibition displays gold and bronze archeological discoveries, and focuses on nomadic tribes such as the Saks, Wusuns, Huns and Kangujs. Along with various other interesting items, you can see paleographical relics - fragments of clay tablets with Kultobe inscriptions, that are the oldest known Sogdian texts. These inscriptions provide historical information that was unknown until their discovery; the scientific and historical value of this finding exceeds Kazakh borders and bears a huge significance for ethnogenesis and the political history of nomadic peoples in the whole of Eurasia.
Another section of the exhibition represents traditional Kazakh culture. At the centre of the collection is a yurt (kiiz ui, felt house), a unique piece of architecture, which is a structure made of wood and hides with a felt insulation layer and traditional decorations. The advantages of such a dwelling are the convenient availability of materials, and its simple and fast assembly and disassembly, ensuring its mobility during the periods of seasonal migration of the nomads living and working in the pastures. These criteria were crucial for the survival of the Kazakhs still living in the traditional way.
The exhibition also displays everyday items, such as household tools and goods, horse harnesses, utility and artistic items, examples of traditional costumes, furniture, dishes, utensils and carpets. All these items demonstrate the uniqueness of the nomadic culture, and are placed in harmony with the traditional spatial layout in the yurt. The presentation of this nomadic culture aims to show the uniqueness of the thousand-year-long survival strategy of nomadic the people, who were able to adapt themselves to the most severe natural conditions present in the Kazakh Central Asian area.
