Assistant Professor Mustafa Aksoy

(Sociologist)
Abstract

Historians express Altay-Sayan region as the cultural and geographical environment of Proto-Turks, depending on the Chinese sources. We learn the cultural aspects of this region from the excavation results of cultural historians and Russian archeologists.

Typical Bronze Age aspects are seen in Afenesavo culture (3000-1700 B.C.). Hunting, animal feeding, pottery are typical aspects of this culture. In Andronovo culture, (1700-1200 B.C.), bronze and related tools are dominant. In Tagar culture (700-200 B.C.) near Yenisey River, iron casting, animal motifs, the exploration of the bit, which is used for riding horses, felt, the cart covered by felt, kimiz, and usage of milk product are determinant. The archeological traces fond in Pazirik fortress, are examined in Tagar culture. The steps of Abakan-Minusinks-Tuva are geographical region of Karasuk culture. (After 700s B.C.). The characteristics of this culture is usage of iron as weapon after casting. The people belong to Karasuk culture, live in tends made of felt and use carts having wheels. According to Afanasevo and Andronovo cultural data, riding horse began in 1700 B.C. Riding horse is the second phase of benefiting from horse, after the use of horse meat and milk. So, the domestication of horse had been occurred before this time. According to Deer, one of the Hungarian Turkologists, "if horse had not been existed, the battle style, which was having thunder-like promptness could not be improved by step men, the states of the Khuns, Avars, and Gokturks could not be established. The Khuns almost established and defended their state by riding horses.

Step culture is very important, from the point of view of step culture of Asiatic people, that is especially Turkish culture. Because as it is known the place, where the step culture firstly emerged in the history is at the same time the place called "Turan" land; in other words, the place where the Proto-Turks lived and still modern Turks are living. Apart from this it is not coincidence that calling "sella Turcica" (The Turkish Bone) as a bone, which seems like "saddle" on skull of human body, in medicinal literature.

The concept of Turk, firstly seen on the "Orhun" monuments, dominantly as "Turuk". (These are the first stones made monuments consisting the name Turk; they were built in years 720-725, 732-735). However it is obvious with documents that these people had not emerged instantaneously. On the other hand, a process is necessary to live for emerging of a man in historical scene. So, the real question is that "who are the first ancestors (proto ancestors) of Turks?” Some of the historians had given sometimes different, sometimes same answers to this question. For example, historians, who are specialized in pre-Islamic Turkish history, like W. Eberhard, İ. Kafesoğlu, B. Ögel ve L. Rasonyi, unanimously say "Hiung-nus" are the Proto-Turks.

On the other hand it was supposed that, the "Targita" in Heredotos’ treatise, "Togharma", the grand child of Yafes in Old Testament, "Turukha" and "Thrak" in Indian sources, "Tik" in Chinese sources, the "Turukku"s in hieroglyphs of front Asia as Turkish tribes.

The Turk name had been searched in Zent-Avesta and Old Testament. For example, "Turk" the grandchild of Noah and Turac or Tur, who is the son of the ruler Feridun (Thraetaonna) in Avesta, had been shown as a tribe named as Turk.

The word Turk used in a Persian text, dated 420, for expressing the "Altayid" and "Turanid" (in Persian Literature the word "turk" also used for beautiful), later as in year 515, instead of "powerful Khun" the term "turk Khun" had been used. But as the name of a nation and state; firstly used in the annual record of Chou family (557-579), in Western World; in the treatise of historian Agathias (died in 582), in Arabic Laguage; in the divan of N. Zubyani (died in 600) and in Slavic Language; used in the first Russian chronicles in XII century.

The word "turk" has different meanings, of which the known ones are T’u-que (Turk) = helmet, Trk = the leaved, Turk = the age of maturity. According to A. Wembrey and J. Deny the word "turk" is originated from "türemek" (reproduction). The first Turkish sociologist, Ziya Gökalp (1886-1924) used "Turk" as "Töreli" (having order and code, tradition).

Yusuf Has Hacip (Hajeeb) used "turk" as name and adjective in his masterpiece Kutadgu Bilig.

As adjective; " ay ilig baka kör seningde oza beg erdi atangilde erk turk tuze" ( Hey the ruler, look up, the one who ruled better than you was your father). Here used as "powerful, strengthful".

As name; " Körü borsa emdi bu türk begleri ajun beglerinde bular yigleri" ( If you pay attention, you may see that, among the world rulers, the best ones are Turkish). Bu turk beglerinde ati belgülüg tonga alp er erdi kuti belgülüg ( among these turk rulers, the one whose career seemed obvious was Tonga Alp-Er)

Tu-küe (there is no voice 'r' in Chinese)= Türküt=Türkit

Türküz=Türkü=Turkyt=Turkid=Twrky=Türk

Hung= Khun=Kün=Hun

Hiung-nu= Hyiung-nu= Hsiung-nu=Hunlar= Proto Türkler

Chuni= Khuns

T'u-chüe= Gök-Türkler

Kök-Türük=Gök-Türk

Türük=Türk

Tu-ku= Türk

Tu-cüe= Türkler

Uz= Tork= Ghuzz

Turkoman= In the first years of Islam, used for the Ghuzz people converted to Islam, by Persian and Arabic historians.

Tork= Uz (In mid XI century; Ghuzz lived North of Black Sea, named as "Tork" by Russian writers, "Uz" by Roman writers)

The classical Roman, Latin, and Armenian historians (like Theodoretus, Sidonius, and Priskos) expressed the Khuns as Scythians The writer of this paper determined that some old graves in Mangislak of Kazakhstan, Hiva of Uzbekistan, and historical uybat city of Hakasya and some styles of clothing are commonly belonging to Khuns and Scythlaus.

"Almost all Chinese records are unanimous on the Hienyun (Xiong-nu) of ancient times are the ancestors of the Khuns" . Sümer (1972, p.2) also assigns that the first founders of Turkish state structre are the "Xiong-nus". on the other hand "Gökturk state is almost the continuation of the Great Khun State". Because it is written in Chinese Sources that the

Gokturks, Uygurs, and Kyrgyz are descended from the Xiong-nu people and Xiong-nu state were ruled by 24 commanders .

"The most precise result about the origin of the Gök-Turks is that they had lived in South of Altay Mountains until the year 542. As all Chinese sources allied, they descended from the Khuns and located at the North of them . Thus the Gök-Turks are one line of the Khuns.

The first kaans of the Khuns, of the Khuns, Mete and Ghuzz of Ghuzz Legend are said to be the same person by some folklorists.

Although in Chinese annual records, some words used by tliung-nus like "tanrı, kut, börü, il, ordu, tugh, kilich.., and so on" can be seen; the first historical document about the Khuns is belonging to the year 318 B-C; an agreement. At those times the Chou role in china weakened and some civil struggles emerged. In such a situation five local rulers signed alliance agreement with Xiong-nus, against to the strengthened Ch'ins.

The Xiong-nus had begun to be seen in Chinese sources since 400 s B.C. Before them, since some relations between the religious beliefs and traditions of Chou state (1050-256 B.C.)

And those of Turks exist; and since this state established on the geography of Turks; the relation with Turks is expressed. But since this could not be proven, it is not more than a hypothesis. They lived in nomadic style, fed horse, cattle, and sheep, and performed agriculture. So they were having grain cellars. Their food pattern was meat dominant. They were wearing clothes made of pelt. They drunk kimiz and were using voiced arrows and leather clothes.

In fifth month of every year, they do fast and sacrifice for land and sky. Horseracings are being done during these fests. In eighth month, autumn, horseracings around forest or a sign, are being done. Left side is holy. They worship to sun and moon.

The magicians engrave the bones of sheep and cattle to the road against the bad spirits. It is said that the magicians of the Khuns were being used in the service of Chincses. They export wool covers, wooll made textiles, and different felts.

The Gu-tzang city in Gan-su was established by Xiong-nus. But they have no big city siuce they live semi-nomadic life. Politically, they wore 24 nobility levels in society. They are red haired, white raced and having green eycs.

If we consider the first document in Chinese annual records, the states established by Xiong-nus are:

1. The First Khun State (318 B.C.- 48 A.D.)
2. Northern Khun State (48-156 A.D.)
3. Southern GokTurk State (48-216 A.D.)
4. The First Chao GokTurk State (303 -329 A.D.)
5. The Second Chao State (328 – 352 A.D.)
6. Akhun (The White Khun State) (350 – 577 A.D.)
7. Xia (Hsia) Khun State (407 – 431 A.D.)
8. Northern Liang Khun State (401 – 439 A.D.)
9. European Khun State (374 – 469 A.D.)

Their first homelands are near the Altay Mountains. One part of the Xiong-nus are said to be Tu-gues. They believe that they originated from female wolf. According to them, female wolf had fed their first ancestors so there is a wolf icon at the top of their flag. This wolf legend is a typical motif not only for Tu-gues but for all Turks also.

Tu-gues are performing the iron works of Juan-juans. One of their ancestors’ hair is red and eyes are sky-blue. Their clothes are buttoned from left hand side (of Chinese are from right hand side), and their hair had been shaved. They stay in felt covered tents (yurt). They migrate and they occupy with hunting. They eat moat, drink kimiz, wear on fur and wool clothes. Their khans (hakan) sit on carpet.

The khan has been elected according personal power. They have bows made of horn, arrows for which leads made of bone, long spears, swords and knives. They are good riders and sharp shooters.

The dead are put in tent by ceremony; sheep and horses are sacrificed. Horse races are done around that tent of dead. Faces are drawn representing the requiem. Dead is engraved after burned with his/her wealth and horse. A picture of dead is drawn. Stones as much as the number of people the dead body killed while living, are put in the grave.

The skulls of sacrificed animals are inserted on poles and these are located near grave. Big fest begins at the second half of the fifth month, by sacrificing for land and sky.

Girls play ball with their feet. They drink kimiz and believe in spirits, they respect in magicians. They have writings like those of Xiongnus. Their traditions are similar from all aspects with those of Xiongnus.

1. The First GokTurk State (552-582 A.D.)
2. Eastern GokTurk State (582-630 A.D.)
3. Western GokTurk State (582-630 A.D.)
4. The Second GokTurk State (681-744 A.D.)

At the end of my studies, I collected thousands of symbols (stamps/damgalar). The symbols are very important authentic evidence in cultures of peoples. Especially, for the Turks, these have mythological specifications more than being both the sign of independence and ornament-art material. For example, in Oguz Kagan Legend, one of the creation legends of Turks, it has been said that Turks are coming from 24 tribes. The symbols of these 24 Oguz tribes showed and these symbols of 24 Oguz tribes are still used by Turkish people either as it was or as modified.

The use of some names of totems, which are accepted as god or holly by pre-Islamic Turks in symbols are determined. For example, "Umay Ene" (Which is the protective god of ancient Turks.), Eagle, deer and ram are some of them. But there is no symbol named as Turk. However, It has been seen symbols of "Turkmen rose" or "Hun rose" (according to historians the Kuhns are the firs ancestors of Turks who had established empire).

In the written history of Turks, the name "Turk" firstly used in Orhun Monuments. (In 732 AC) These monuments were written by the first Turkic alphabet, Runic alphabet. Some letters of this alphabet are based on the stamps which were (and still are) used by Turks.

Another aspect of these symbols is their usage of evidence by the scientists who postulate Indians as first Turks or Asians passed through Bering Channel. It is a fact that the Indian traditions and the symbols which they used are dramatically corresponding to old Turkish ones. These can be reviewed in "Dene and Na-Dene Indians" of Ethel G. Stewart and "Indians of the United States" of Clark Wissler.

Before carpet–rug art, it will be more appropriate to think about the social conditions in which the sheep, which is the source of raw material of it, became an important factor. Because, there are strong relations between carpet-rug art and domestication of sheep, and between interior decoration of tents and the felt necessary for the construction of the tent.

According to historians, Afanasyevo culture, firstly emerged in a region with the same name in Altays. Horse had been firstly domesticated here, in this region. The people lived here are said to be the Khuns. "The animal raiser nomads needed easy movable tents for mobilization those can be also lifted by the animals. Those people did not know the European Style furniture. So the most important decorating items were the carpets…According to Uhlemann, the motherland of the carpets were the dry steps. This is also approved by the climatic properties. The most characteristic people of steps were the Turks. So it is natural that to see Turks as having great role in carpet production and distribution. This is an idea on which many specialists agreed." Sheep is an indispensable animal of the steps together with the horse. Horse, with its maneuver ability, provided right to live for Turks against Chinese armies. On the other hand sheep, with its wool, provided material for the items of wearing and accommodation. Turks made felt from the wools of sheep and embroidered the ram head on to their felts, carpets, and rugs. For example "….the carpets of Kyrgyz, who lived in upper Yenisey and Mongolia for a period after Uygurs, also made of felt. The domestic people call the motifs as Koçkarding müzü (the horn of the ram) it is still possible to see Kazak Turks, in Kazakhstan, wearing shoes and boats made by felt, and in all Turkic Republics, ram-head decorated felts.

A. Miller, one of Russian ethnographers, says in his treatise published in 1924, and named as "Carpet Products of the East"; they are the motifs of flower and plant in Persian textiles. The carpet motifs found at Caucasian archaeological sites during excavations completely same with other ornaments of 14-15^th centuries of Turks. We cannot ignore this contribution of Turks to the Caucasian textile". On the other hand author says that about the history of carpet weaving. Only the Turk tribes were the producers of carpet items. If it is necessary to count some of them: Turcoman, Karakalpak, Uzbek, Masaget and Kyrgyz. Especially for the Kyrgyz people, carpet weaving presents close relations between nomadic life and needs of this style of life. The Spanish Voyager Clavicho’s testimonies are useful, who visited to the Palace of Tamerlane in 15^th century. The resident people of Turkistan, Sarts and Tajeeks do not involve with carpet weaving."

The core of the the Afanasyevo Culture, shortly mentioned above, is a fortress near Bateney town. In this fortress; some remnants of sheep and horses found with some ornaments. As known, horse is an important sacrificial animal for Turks as it is a riding animal. Old Turks were sacrificing horse for sky and ram for the earth. Still in Kazakhstan horse is being a sacrificed and it is more expensive than, sheep, cattle, and camel.

The regions of inner Asia, in which Turks live, named as "horse raising cultural region", and it is emphasized that the Turks first produced this culture. According to Manghin, one of the important researchers of this culture, Ural-Altaic people have two main faculties in world-history. These are firstly, the animal raising and secondly, the state-establishing faculties.

The oldest known carpet in the world, found at Pazirik fortress of Altay region. Here is the oldest location, used by Turks since the oldest ages of history. But Russian archaeologist Rudonko, insisted that the carpet he found is Iranian made. Some other Russian archaeologists and art historians discussed in their articles whether the Pazirik carpet Iranian or Scythian. They had no word about Turks, but even they wrote about Mongols or Chineses had probability of existence although a weak probability.

Another different approach came from UNESCO. This organization, reserved twelfth issue of their fifteen language publication "Görüs Dergisi" (1976) to Pazirik carpet. The writers of this issue, used Iran, Osset, Altayians, Tuva, Kazakhstan, Mongol, Chinese, Russian, Scythian, Ukrainian names often, but insisted on not use of the name Turk even once. Only the funeral ceremony of the first Turkish Khan had been written about and then Avars and Rums said to be ready at the ceremony representing the Byzantium. Also it is said that "the participants of funeral came from the regions like Pacific region, Siberia, and Central Asia which were not belonging to Turks" if this issue will be treated completely, it can be easily seen that is scientifically weak like the example above. For instance, in one article the motherland of Scythians said to be Northern black Sea, in another article Scythian traces in Siberia is talked about and at the other one it is said that "Scythians are like their relatives, Altaians" decorates their graves. Also it has been written" there is no relation between Central Asia (in other word, The Great Turkistan) and the Turks". And very ridiculously for anyone who knows a little bit about language geography, there are sentences like "Altaians, like Scythians uses some dialects of Persian Language". In the same issue Scythians are being narrated as "…they use arms on horses, specially sacrifice horses for gods, do not raise pigs, do drink kimiz, believe life after death and so put foods to the grave and the hero people were buried after mummifying with their horses, they used ram-head bowls, lived in tents with wheels."

J. Straygowski, the manager of the Institute of Art history of Wien, reminds to Turkish scientists in his broad article that, in Türkiyat Mecmuasi, 1926-1933 v-II. If Turks themselves will not treat the subject, they do not have to wait humanists to say their art has an old past. In spite of this notice, it can not be said that, the Turkish Art treated sufficiently by the Turks themselves, except some studies. For example the first serious study about Turkish Art is "Türk Sanati, Istanbul, 1965", by co-writers E. Diez and O. Aslanapa. Even though the first responses to Rudenko gave by Abdülkadir Inan (1937), by N. Diyarbekirli (1984), and E.F. Tekçe, who has a broad study named as Pazirik (Ankara, 1993), unfortunately there is still not a voluminous study about the tombstones, main lands, the general ethnographic history of Turks, including house-wares, ornaments and carpet-rugs.

It is very useful for the ones who will write about carpet-rugs, to begin with Pazirik carpet found in the world. As known, Pazirik plateau is near Balikli Göl (Fish Lake) and across Yan Ulagan River shore. There are stamp or leopard, and the figures of horse, saddle, cavalrymen with trousers on this first known carpet of the world which is found in one of the fortresses here. Leopard is the stamp of Almati, the former capital of Kazakhstan and the state stamp of Tartaristan. The trouser is named as "salvar, shalvar" in Kazakhstan but there is no wear like "salvar" of Anatolia, here. The one who has a little bit information about medicine, knows that a saddle-like bone at the skull is named as "Turkish Bone" (Sella turcica). Consequently only one saddle and the wars of cavalry-men is enough to give sufficient clues about the relations of Pazirik carpet and Turkish culture. Plus, the saddle is a Turkish discovery and there is no similarity between Persian wear style and the wear style of horse-culture. But Rudenko wrote after his studies in Pazirik, "…probably this grave does not belong to Turks or Mongols but belongs to Scythians of Arian race." But it is possible to understand Scythians are not belonging to Arian race by considering their properties like kimiz drinking, not accommodating pig in their lands, horse sacrificing and ceremonies regarding death and grows. It is known that only Turks and Mongols drink kimiz and Western people had not known about it until 1944. On the other hand the treatises, about the Scythians’ Turk identity, at least their existence in the socio-cultural environment of Turks, are much more than the ones about contrary ideas and they are more coherent than those. And "according to Chinese chroniclers of III century B.C. the Khuns were living in Pazirik region. The Uygur Ondar (onlar) or Ondar Uygur tribe of Urenha Turks still exists at the east of Pazirik tumulus. Shortly in the grave of excavation all the races which show the interment, rite, and cerements can be explained only by the custom, and traditions belonging to Turks. All the traces found in excavation, are the productions of the culture which Turks evolved in Central Asia and Altays before Christ.

It is certain that being of a cultural element in a region is not an evidence for that culture belongs to that region. But the specifications of the found cultural elements give clues more about what it means within that environment, to which environment does it belong and etc. for instance, there is a widespread opinion among anthropologists about a cultural element, which says if a cultural element concentrated in somewhere and it carries important meanings for that socio-cultural life, this means that element is a trace of the region.

The oldest documents about Persian khan remained from VIII century AC. The specialists about Iran, whom their opinions about Iran are generally accepted by the world, like Spiegel Kremer and Geiger says "carpet weaving is not something autochthon for Persians" But Piotrovsky, after he says "famous Iranian Carpet" about Pazirik carpet, he adds that the felts, found in Altay mountains show Chinese, Iranian and Scythian impacts. Gryaznov says "… in middle and South Kazakhstan, western regions of Altays, and in Tuva, some traces, belonging to Scythians age, were obtained" then he declares that the animal figure can be seen in a wide area from Danube shores to Chinese Wall. So the regions, in which Scythians lived, are in fact the regions, Turks had accommodated since the known past of history. Turks still live in Kazakhstan, Tuva and Altays. It’s widely accepted by some historians concentrated on the Khuns, Chinese and, Mongol History that Altay region is accepted as the first motherland of Turks; so it should not be a problem.

While Vambray was talking about the travels he did to regions like Hive, Jahran and Bukhara, he narrated aboutg the production of carpet and felt made by Turkomans and described embroidery work as; "a woman draws on sand part by part the embroidery samples she wants to be made and the workers weave the carpet by looking to these samples. The geograph in which the art of carpet weaving was born is the region in which Turks lived. The studies about carpets, which are near a hundred years old, shows that this art spread to whole world by Turks. The carpet which belongs to VI century, and was found before Pazirik Carpet had been introduced by Seljukids. The knotted carpet of Pazirik had been weaved by "Gördes knot" which is also called by social scientists as "Turkish knot". This technique firstly used in Inner Asia. So in some treatises it is declared that knotted carpets have strong relations with Turkish history. As art historians show, the "Iranian Knot" is asymmetric but Turkish knot is symmetric. So it has to be evidence that the symmetrically knotted carpet is a Turkish carpet or at least is not an Iranian carpet.

As known form Pazirik carpet or from the carpet rugs knotted in current Turkic Republics, the dominant elements on these carpets are the animal stamps. These animal stamps had been sourced from "nomadic culture" field according to the specialist historians as the branch Manghin, Kopper, Grousset, Rasonyi, Barovka. The lands of Hakas, Tuva, and Altay autonomous republics are the center of this cultural environment.

Russian scientists like L.P. Kyzlassov, K.F. Simirov, Kisselev and Griaznov objects Rudonko’s opinions and the opinions which suggests Pazirik carpet as Iranian carpet, K. Erdman, the art historian, was formerly having doubts if Pazirik carpet is Turkish or not; but then in his last treatise, he defended the opinion that Pazirik carpet is a Turkish carpet since it had been knotted by "Turkish knot". According to Diyarbekirli, "Pazirik capet is something like the mirror of the material values of the Khun communities lived in Altays."

As it is explained above the dominant element of Iranian style is the stamp of plant. In Turkish style on the other hand the ram head and abstract stamps are dominant. The photos presented here had not been taken intentionally but all they had been taken randomly. The photos, we think, give important information regarding Pazirik carpet and the history of carpet weaving history. For example the dominant stamps of Pazirik carpets can be seen not only on carpet-rugs, but also on outer wall of a house, near "sickle-hammer" on banknotes, on a tombstone and even on ceilings or walls of toilets. Consequently the sameness of the stamps, seen on photos and taken in a wide geography from Altays to Van, Hakkari, to Adana, Bergama, Çanakkale and Edirne must have a meaning for thinkers. Most of them are not only similar but also identical. Else, using the same stamps of people in such a big area, in their carpets tombstones business and entertainment places, and even embroidered to Lenin's statue must express something for thinkers.