Mazar tastar-ata - most sacred place in Alay valley of Kyrgyzstan

Purpose. This article contains material about veneration of holy places in Kyrgyz Alai Valley. It is famous for numerous holy places which local people still attend for worship and treat with rever ence. Among them stands out the famous mazar Tastar-Ata located on top of the mountain around the village of Bulooluu. This name belongs to a few sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan. Ceremonies honoring this sacred place include sacrificing some small livestock, sheep and goats; during the ritual meal, special people read prayers and send requests to the spirit of the holy place. During a prayer at night they light a candle. Among the parishioners who visit the site, the predominant requests are for healing various diseases. Childless women apply to the mazar host asking to be given children. Parishioners also often address to the spirits asking that their relatives participating in battles or hostilities could return home safe and sound. Among the visitors to the mazar there are not only common people, but also some Muslim clerics or mullahs. Results. Analyzing worship practices at Tastar Ata, we can trace a combination of rituals common for shamanism and Islam. This fact is important for studying Kyrgyz religious beliefs. Despite adopting Islam, the Kyrgyz preserve many traditional pagan beliefs and practices. Up to now local people retell stories about the origin and sanctity of the mazar. According to them, the information about this sacred place has been passed down from generation to generation, and the mazar name is associated with the name of a holy man Tastar-Ata. To visit the shrine pilgrims must follow some rules. They are supposed to achieve physical and spiritual purity, or the visit can be harmful to them. A thunderstorm with strong wind, heavy rain and bolts can reveal their hidden secrets. Visitors of the mazar usually stay at the site for two or three days. Near the mazar there is a roofless stone structure with five rooms for religious activities. Each of the rooms has its own purpose and is to be visited in turn to read the five prayers that correspond to the order of salat. Conclusion. In this paper we used data obtained by the author in 2000-2001 from respondents of older generations who live in villages Bulooluu and Kun-Elec in Alai Valley. These data indicate that among local people remnants of pre-Islamic beliefs intertwine with local traditions. The term «Tastar» is widespread among the Turkic peoples of Eurasia. It is used not only by the Kyrgyz but also by the Tatars, Chuvash, Bashkir, and the Muslims of Dagestan. This word refers to male and female headdresses. The term has been kept as the name of some tribal divisions in Kyrgyz, Altai and the Bashkir. Its roots date back to the Middle Ages. Throughout the history, the term «Tastar» has been in wide use among the Turkic peoples of Middle and Central Asia, the Urals, the Volga and the North Caucasus.