The Heritage of the Great Steppe Scholars Discovered in British Libraries
Inventorying ancestral heritage and studying valuable manuscripts from the depths of history is one of the primary tasks of modern domestic science. To this end, from June 10 to 20, 2026, Azamat Zhamashev, PhD and Associate Professor, head of the scientific project AP22686474 "Anthology of Arabic-Language Sources of Kazakh Thinkers in Foreign Archives" undertook an scientific trip to London, Cambridge, and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.
The main goal of the trip was to delve into the world-renowned libraries and archival collections of Great Britain to find unique manuscripts of medieval scholars and thinkers from the Kazakh steppe and introduce them into scientific circulation.
The first and largest center of the scientific search was the British Library, one of the largest libraries in the world. The manuscripts found in British libraries are notable for their age and volume. During a thorough review of the Islamic manuscript catalogs in this collection, important versions were discovered. More than twenty works by Abu Nasr al-Farabi and other scholars from Farab were found in the library's collection of Oriental manuscripts, which holds more than thirty thousand items. Most importantly, it was revealed that among these works are exceptionally valuable and rare copies that are unique in the world of science. The researcher worked directly with these priceless artifacts, analyzing their content and significance. The manuscripts were collected from all over the world, including India and Turkey.
Modern capabilities were also used effectively during this visit. The "Fihrist" portal a unified electronic catalog of Islamic manuscripts in the UK was examined, along with the individual catalogs of each library. The main collections preserving the heritage of our scholars are held by the British Library and the libraries of the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, SOAS, and Eton College. As a result of the research in the special collections of these libraries, the list of more than eighty documents already known from online databases was supplemented with new data, and over one hundred valuable manuscripts were cataloged. Of course, not limiting the visit to libraries, exploring the historical and cultural sites, museums, and exhibitions in London and Edinburgh to gain a deeper sense of the country's rich history and culture helped to foster a comprehensive understanding of life in Great Britain, which has cultivated a strong culture of reading.
During the search conducted at the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford, the largest collection of manuscripts was identified. Specifically, it was determined that more than fifty manuscripts here belong to medieval scholars from the regions of Farab, Turkistan, Taraz, and Zernuk, who were the golden pillars of our national history.
Another fruitful day of the research trip was spent at the University of Cambridge, considered a global center of knowledge. In the special collections of the university library, unique manuscripts by our great figures such as Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Ismail ibn Hammad al-Jawhari, Abu Nasr al-Farabi, Jamal al-Qarshi, and Burhanuddin al-Zarnuji were found, as well as commentaries (sharh) and abridged versions (mukhtasar) of these works. Specifically, it was established that the earliest copied manuscript of al-Jawhari's work "As-Sihah" in the Cambridge University Library dates to the 13th century. We also came across new works written in the 13th century by two scholars from Farab.
The final part of the scientific itinerary continued in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. During the examination of artifacts at the National Library of Scotland and the National Museum of Scotland, there were valuable artifacts and historical exhibits reflecting cultural exchange with Western and Eastern countries. In summary, this international trip proved to be a true treasure trove for national history and manuscript studies. The more than one hundred manuscripts and new sources collected from the finest archives of Great Britain will be deeply studied within the project in the future and will serve to conquer new frontiers of Kazakh science and revive the legacy of our ancestors.
Azamat Zhamashev
Senior Researcher at the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, PhD, Associate Professor
