 | |
| Type | Hat |
|---|---|
| Material | Wool felt |
| Place of origin | Kyrgyzstan |
| Ak-kalpak craftsmanship, traditional knowledge and skills in making and wearing Kyrgyz men's headwear | |
|---|---|
| Country | Kyrgyzstan |
| Reference | 01496 |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2019 (14th session) |
| List | Representative |
Ak-kalpak is a white felt hat that is traditionally worn by Kyrgyz men.
Ak-kalpak takes its name from the Kyrgyz words "ak" (white) and "kalpak" (designating any form of hat and passed into Russian as the kolpak in the fifteenth century). [1] The ak-kalpak is an elongated cap formed of four pieces of white wool felt sewn together. It is worn rolled up, so as to form a small rim. Ak-kalpak are usually adorned with black embroidery and a matching lapel; the plain white version is reserved for certain ceremonies. There are more than 80 variants. [2]
Reputed to evoke the snow-capped peaks of Kyrgyzstan, [3] it is decorated with embroidery with abstract patterns that also have symbolic meanings. [4] Its four sides represent the four elements (water, earth, air, fire). The edges would bring back to life, the tassels which surmount it in memory of the ancestors and the embroidered motifs would evoke a family tree. [2]
The ak-kalpak distinguishes the Kyrgyz from other local ethnic groups, but is presented as promoting inclusion "when representatives of other ethnic groups wear it to express their union." [2] It now symbolizes the unity of the homeland. Since 2011, the headgear has been considered a de facto national symbol. [4] Nationally, workshops perpetuate manufacturing traditions and exhibitions have been organized since 2013. [2]
Unlike other traditional Kyrgyz clothing which have fallen out of fashion, the ak-kalpak is still regularly worn by men of all ages, in both the capital Bishkek and in the mountains. [4] Since 2017, Kyrgyzstan has celebrated March 5 as "national Ak-kalpak day". [5]
In December 2017 in Bishkek, a dog show in which a dog wore an ak-kalpak in a parade caused a national scandal. [6] Several elected officials, including the ruling Social Democratic Party, castigated what they consider an insult to the motherland: in a country subject to ethnic tensions since the fall of communism in 1991, sensitivity is particularly important on questions of national identity and traditions.
Proposals drafted in response during early 2018 aimed to make the wearing of the ak-kalpak compulsory for the President of the Republic, ministers and certain other dignitaries during official ceremonies and international meetings, and introduces a fine for "disrespecting ak-kalpak", [7] prohibiting its importation, [5] or formally conferring it the status of "cultural symbol". [5] President Sooronbay Jeenbekov repeatedly wore the traditional hat during his election campaign, but did not do so after his election in October 2017. [3]
"Ak-kalpak craftsmanship, traditional knowledge and know-how related to the making and wearing of the Kyrgyz male hat" was inscribed in 2019 on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in December 2019. [8]
Bishkek, formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of the region but rather a region-level unit of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is situated near the Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan border with its population being 1,074,075 in 2021.
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia, lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the capital and largest city of the country. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east and southeast. With a population of 6.7 million, Kyrgyzstan is the 34th-most populous country in Asia, and the 4th-most populous country in Central Asia. Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's seven million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians.
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Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011, becoming the first female Central Asian head of state. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April Revolution, which led to the ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. She previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as head of the parliamentary caucus for the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.
The culture of Kyrgyzstan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures, with the Kyrgyz being the majority group. It is generally considered that there are 40 Kyrgyz clans, symbolized by the 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the flag. The red lines inside the sun visualise the crown of a yurt, the traditional dwelling of nomadic farmers, once the main population of the Central Asian area. The dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan is Sunni Islam (91%). The Russian population is Russian Orthodox.
A tubeteika is a Russian word for many varieties of traditional Central Asian caps. Tubeteikas are today worn in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, as well as in Muslim-populated regions of Russia and Azerbaijan. The skullcap worn by Uzbeks and Uyghurs is called a doppa and has a square base. It was a popular headgear among children throughout the USSR during the 1940s and 1950s.
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Kyrgyz Premier League or OLIMPBET Premier League for sponsorship purposes is the division of professional football in Kyrgyzstan. It was created in 1992 after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union. The league is composed of eight teams. The most successful team is Dordoi Bishkek who have won the league thirteen times.
Although Kyrgyzstan’s mountains and lakes are an attractive tourist destination, the tourism industry has grown very slowly because it has received little investment. In the early 2000s, an average of about 450,000 tourists visited annually, mainly from countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2018, the British Backpacker Society ranked Kyrgyzstan as the fifth best adventure travel destination on earth, stating that the country was an adventure travel secret that is "bound to get out soon."
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Kyrgyzstan face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in Kyrgyzstan, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples.
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UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance. This list is published by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the members of which are elected by State Parties meeting in a General Assembly. Through a compendium of the different oral and intangible treasures of humankind worldwide, the programme aims to draw attention to the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, which UNESCO has identified as an essential component and as a repository of cultural diversity and of creative expression.
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