Literature of Kazakhstan

Kazakh literary history has been unfolding for several thousand years. Historically, the territory of modern Kazakhstan—from the Caspian Sea coast to the snow-white Altai mountains—was inhabited by dozens of tribes who created legends and myths, epics, and fantastic stories. This period's works are popular because they formed a long-standing and widely accepted literary tradition. Individual authors with their own bibliographies did not become popular until the mid-nineteenth century.

Kazakhs appreciate storytelling and poetry. For millennia, a love of poetry has been a part of Kazakh culture-legends have been told and retold. The most well-known epics are "Korkyt-ata" and "Oguznam." Kazakh poets in the Middle Ages typically performed their works while accompanied by dombra or kobyz (plucked musical instruments), and they organized reading competitions known as "aytyz," which are similar to modern rap battles. Kazakhstan's written literary tradition dates only from the nineteenth century. Among the writers of the time, Abai Kunanbayev, whose name is on settlements, streets, theaters, schools, and universities in Kazakhstan today, stands out.