The conference titled “Turkic Cultural Heritage in Mongolia: Inscriptions, Ancient City Ruins, and Stone Balbals” was held with strong participation at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN).
Head of the Institute of Turkish Archaeology and Cultural Heritage and the Dean of İzmir Katip Çelebi University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, took part as the speaker in the conference held at Doç. Dr. Ali Arslan Conference Hall on Farabi Campus. The Rector of BEUN, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Servet Karasu, BEUN Secretary General Zehra Safi Öz, senate members, academic and administrative staff, and many students attended the program.
Following a moment of silence for our honorable martyrs and the singing of the National Anthem, Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer began his speech, emphasizing the significance and value of knowledge as a journey towards the truth. Prof. Dr. Özölçer spoke about the long-term studies Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan carried out with his love for Turkestan and highlighted that these studies are significant in tracing a memory that has survived for centuries. He stated that the program provides the attendees with an opportunity to understand the intellectual world of Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, who is well known for his excavations that extended from Mongolia to Van and his contribution to the Turcology community. Emphasizing that he believes the dedicated work of Prof. Dr. Doğan would open new horizons for the students, Rector Özölçer concluded his speech by thanking those who contributed to the program.
Head of the Institute of Turkish Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, emphasized the significance of preservation of Turkish cultural heritage on site and approaching it holistically in his presentation titled “Turkic Cultural Heritage in Mongolia: Inscriptions, Ancient City Ruins, and Stone Balbals”. Prof. Dr. Doğan stated that about 200 inscriptions verified in all regions in Mongolia constitute a cultural legacy that carries the traces of the ancient steppe civilization.
He introduced the life and faith culture of the steppe through examples from shaman rituals and sacrifice ceremonies to the ritual of tying cloth strips and freeing horses in his presentation. He also stated that such cultural activities shed light on understanding archaeological studies, and each finding is a part of a whole. He provided the attendees with the opportunity to get to know this legacy through scientific explanations and visual materials by sharing photos of the Bugut Inscription, Tes Inscription, Anıt Külliyesi Inscription, Çoyr Inscription, and İlteriş Kağan Inscription found in 2022.
Doğan stated that the museum project that focuses on exhibiting the inscriptions on site is ongoing in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and TİKA, and the opening ceremony will be held in May. He also pointed out that during the Köktürk period, nearly 800 stone balbals existed, that inscriptions were carved on many objects on the steppe—from roof tiles to bones—and that the inscriptions carved into stone could be engraved not only by privileged classes such as administrators, clergy, and soldiers, but also by ordinary people. He stated that various traditional instruments, especially the 7th-century Altay Yatıg included in the museum’s collection, demonstrated the multifaceted nature of Turkish culture. Prof. Dr. Doğan concluded his speech by thanking everyone who contributed to the organization of the program, particularly BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer.
The conference titled “Turkic Cultural Heritage in Mongolia: Inscriptions, Ancient City Ruins, and Stone Balbals,” hosted by BEUN, ended with the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan and a commemorative photo taken to mark the day.
Following the program, Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, who visited BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer in his office, expressed his pleasure in taking part as a guest in the event titled “Turkic Cultural Heritage in Mongolia: Inscriptions, Ancient City Ruins, and Stone Balbals” and conveyed his thanks to Rector Prof. Dr. Özölçer for his hospitality. Rector Prof. Dr. Özölçer, expressing his satisfaction with Prof. Dr. Doğan’s visit, stated that he was pleased to host Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, Head of the Turkish Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Institute, at BEUN.
