Mazars at Muslim cemeteries of the Omsk Irtysh region (the evidence of 2020)

The article discusses the results of studying the Muslim cemeteries of Bibatyr and Khair-Ikhsan in Omsk Region in 2020. This study examines mazars as a new tradition in the funeral rite of the Kazakhs living in the Omsk Irtysh region. Monumental memorial structures (mazars) were not originally typical for the Kazakh population of the region. In the pre-Soviet and Soviet periods, mazars appeared at cemeteries only sporadically. At that time, there was a clear connection between the construction of mazars and traditional Kazakh worldview, age, wealth, status, and performance of the hadj by the buried persons. It is established that the tradition of building mazars has intensified since the 1990s because some segments of the population have become wealthier, and because of the influence of Kazakhstan,. The number of monumental structures at Muslim cemeteries increased even more in the 21st century. Although modern mazars are mostly traditional in terms of architecture (large sizes, domes), they also have a number of new features. Currently, construction of mazars still largely depends on the wealth of the relatives, but its importance for the family, their degree of grief, and respect for the deceased person also become the leading factors. This is why in the Omsk Irtysh region, mazars started to appear on top of the burials of young people and females. Domes are most often made of metal and do not have direct binding with the walls which sometimes have windows; slabs with information about the deceased and their images are displayed on the walls or next to them. A platform with bench is usually made near the mazar; flowers and trees are planted. Taken together, sizes along the perimeter, height of the walls, and presence of the dome give the building monumentality, making it stand out from regular enclosures at the cemetery. Modern mazars at the cemeteries of the Omsk Irtysh region seem to be an innovation borrowed from Kazakhstan and contradictory to the traditional Kazakh worldview.