28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Kyrgyz epic ‘Manas’ manuscripts were included in the UNESCO Memory of the World

Manuscripts of the Kyrgyz epic “Manas” by narrator Sagymbay Orozbakov have been inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register. This is Kyrgyzstan‘s first nomination in the Memory of the World program.

On 8 June 2023, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, received the UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who arrived in the country on an official visit.

This documentary heritage is the manuscript of the epic “Manas” told by narrator Sagymbay Orozbakov. The epic Manas is a trilogy, “a biographical cycle of three generations of heroes, Manas, his son Semetei and grandson Seitek.

The epic “Manas” is a documentary heritage of the Kyrgyz people, their national pride, identity, and historical memory, traditionally delivered in an exclusively oral way. The recording of the epic “Manas”, made from 1922 to 1926, was the first specially planned and organized in the country.

The choice to record Sagymbay Orozbakov’s version was conditioned by his popularity among the people, his knowledge of the epic “Manas” in all completeness, his high artistry, and his outstanding level of performance. In a group of narrators, he is believed to be the best and identified as the “classical”. His version of the epic is still considered the fullest and most artily valuable.

Photo: UNESCO

Recording of the epic was significant and timely as it was the period of transition of the Kyrgyz people from a nomadic way of life to the settled which posed a threat of the disappearance of the oral transmitting of the epic heritage. Therefore, the recording of the epic was vital and necessary to transfer the oral narration to paper and to give the second breath of life to it in book form.

The manuscript consists of 10 handwritten books. In a group of narrators, Sagymbay Orozbakov believed to be the best and identified as the “classical”. His version of the epic is still considered as the fullest and artily valuable.

The monumental epic Manas is the most treasured expression of the national heritage of the Kyrgyz people. Composed and sung entirely in oral form by various singers throughout the centuries, Manas is regarded as the epitome of oral creativity. Although as yet not widely known, Manas is considered to be one of the greatest examples of epic poetry. As nomads, the Kyrgyz had no written language. However, they excelled in oral composition, which they artistically employed in their traditional poetry and epic songs.

Cover Photo: UNESCO / President.kg (CC BY 3.0 IGO)

Related Articles

Archaeologists reveal largest paleolithic cave art site in Eastern Iberia

17 September 2023

17 September 2023

More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings thought to be at least 24,000 years old were found in the cave...

Impressive proof of technology transfer in Antiquity times “2700 year- old a Leather Armor”

20 July 2022

20 July 2022

Design and construction details of the unique leather-scaled armor found in a horse rider’s tomb in northwest China indicate that...

Archaeologists have discovered 85 ancient tombs, a watchtower, and a temple site in Egypt’s Gabal al-Haridi region

5 May 2022

5 May 2022

The Egyptian archaeological mission discovered 85 tombs, a watchtower, and a temple site in the Gabal al-Haridi area of Sohag,...

Ancient Egyptian Kohl recipes more diversified than previously thought

28 April 2022

28 April 2022

Researchers analyzed the contents of 11 kohl containers from the Petrie Museum collection in London and have revealed that the...

6th Century Anglo-Saxon Warriors May Have Fought in Northern Syria

7 July 2024

7 July 2024

Researchers have suggested compelling evidence that Anglo-Saxon warriors from late sixth-century Britain participated in Byzantine military campaigns in the eastern...

A new study provides evidence that modern humans, coexisted in the same region with Neanderthals for thousands of years

11 February 2024

11 February 2024

A genetic analysis of bone fragments excavated from an archaeological site in Ranis, Germany provides conclusive evidence that modern humans...

New research reveals the true function of Bronze Age daggers

30 April 2022

30 April 2022

A new study led by Newcastle University has revealed that the analysis of Bronze Age daggers has shown that they...

Contemporaneous with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia the Indus Valley Civilization city of ‘Mohenjo Daro’: Skilled urban planners with a reverence for the control of water

10 September 2022

10 September 2022

The Indus River Valley (or Harappan) civilization (3300-1300 BCE) lasted 2,000 years and spanned northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest...

Mystery of the World’s Oldest Map on a Nearly 3,000-year-old Babylonian Tablet Finally Solved

28 October 2024

28 October 2024

A recent British Museum video reveals that the “oldest map of the world in the world” on a clay tablet...

The Longest Greek Papyrus from the Judean Desert Sheds Light on a Pivotal Roman Court Case

31 January 2025

31 January 2025

New research by a group of Austrian and Israeli scholars has finally deciphered a 1,900-year-old scroll describing a tense court...

Mothers in the prehistoric were far more skilled at parenting their children than we give them credit for

24 November 2021

24 November 2021

The death rate of newborns in ancient cultures is not a reflection of inadequate healthcare, sickness, or other issues, according...

An ancient necropolis and coins discovered in Kastel Fortress, a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina

11 November 2024

11 November 2024

During excavations at Kastel Fortress, the national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, students and professors of Archaeology and History found...

Dacian Treasure Discovered in Romania, Possibly Indicating a Hidden Settlement in Breaza

12 April 2025

12 April 2025

In the spring of 2025, an extraordinary archaeological discovery was made in the Breaza commune of Mureș County, Romania, when...

Ancient cooking vessel found in northern Minnesota dates back more than 1,600 years

28 February 2022

28 February 2022

Dating of Ceramic sherds found in 2003 at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota revealed the vessel...

Saxon ‘London’ was Bigger Than Previously Believed

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

Archaeologists digging at the northern end of Trafalgar Square found evidence that Saxon London’s center was bigger and extended further...