SHYRDAK - THE KYRGYZ FELT CARPET / ШЫРДАК - SHYRDAK / КЫРГЫЗ ШЫРДАГЫ / ШЫРДАК - КЫРГЫЗСКИЙ ВОЙЛОЧНЫЙ КОВЕР / БИШКЕК 2015 BISHKEK / Hardcover

Kyrgyzstan, Dinara Chochunbaeva/ Central Asia Crafts Support Association's Resource Center / Shyrdak, the Kyrgyz Felt Carpet Book in 3 Languages: Kirghiz, Russian, English

ISBN-13: 9789967279667 / 978-9967279667

Pages 360

Printed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Weight of book 2.4kg FULL COLOR PRINT

    !!! Condition or this book is USED VERY GOOD !!!

A shyrdak (Kyrgyz: шырдак, pronounced [ʃɯrˈdɑq]) or syrmak (Kazakh: сырмақ, romanized: syrmaq, pronounced [səɾˈmɑq]) is a stitched, and often colourful felt floor- and wallcovering, usually handmade in Central Asia. Kazakhs and Kyrgyz alike traditionally make shyrdaks, but especially in Kyrgyzstan, the tradition is kept alive, and products are also sold to tourists.

In 2012, Kyrgyz felt carpets ala-kiyiz and shyrdak were inscribed into the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in need of urgent protection.

“​Shyrdak, the Kyrgyz Felt Carpet” of 360 pages in three languages (Kyrgyz, Russian and English) represents art of the Kyrgyz Shyrdak, which is rooted in the mists of time. The book is published in order to increase the awareness of the general public about the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kyrgyz people.

In this book, the majestic and beautiful nature of Kyrgyzstan echoes with the finest examples of the kyrgyz shyrdaks, which patterns hide the sacred meaning of human being on Earth. The book also introduces the readers to the leading masters of the Kyrgyz shyrdaks, as well as highlights the efforts of various public organizations and individuals to preserve and promote the Kyrgyz shyrdak.

Most of the materials for this publication were acquired and gathered through an extensive work conducted since the middle of 1980’s by the specialists in handicraft sector. Also, the research of the Kyrgyz traditional crafts by CACSARC-kg, supported by the Christensen Foundation (2009-2011), provided a wide database. In order to reveal the richness and diversity of the shyrdaks, an array of experts and scholars in different fields were invited to work on this publication. Designers, photographers, poets, anthropologists and artisans are among the people who contributed to the creation of this book. Dinara Chochunbaeva, an expert on development of traditional crafts, is an initiator of “Shyrdak, the Kyrgyz Felt Carpet”. Zhenishgul Ozbekova and Aziza Okeeva, the experts on Kyrgyz traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage, were involved as members of the Editorial Board.

The book was published by Dinara Chochunbaeva through the Central Asian Crafts Support Association’s Resource Center in Kyrgyzstan – CACSARC-kg with the approval of the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO, and with the financial support of Karganbek Samakov, a businessman and public person.