 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Manas Ordo" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Manas Ordo (Kyrgyz andRussian: Манас Ордо,[mɑnɑsordó]) is a modern historical park (with a museum) built aroundManas's Kümböz (Kyrgyz:Манастын күмбөзү,[mɑnɑstɯnkymbœzy];Russian:Кумбез Манаса), aKarakhanid-eramausoleum most likely built around 1334 thought to be the final resting place of theKyrgyz epic heroManas. Among the Kyrgyz, the site has status as amazar.
The mausoleum looks similar to other monuments from the 14th century, with kufic script around the outside edge of the monument.[1]
TheKyrgyz epic heroManas is said to have been buried in theAla-Too mountains inTalas Province, in northwesternKyrgyzstan. Themausoleum 12 km east of the town ofTalas is believed to house his remains and is a popular destination for Kyrgyz travelers. Traditional Kyrgyz horsemanship games are held there every summer since 1995. An inscription on the mausoleum states, however, that it is dedicated to "...the most famous of women, Kenizek-Khatun, the daughter of the emir Abuka". Legend has it that Kanikey, Manas' widow, ordered this inscription in an effort to confuse her husband's enemies and prevent a defiling of his grave.
Indeed, when archaeologists opened the tomb, they found the skeleton of a man who was about 2 m tall (6.5 feet), not the skeleton of a woman. Academics and experts took this to mean that Manas Ordo was indeed the tomb of the legendary warrior, and not of the princess mentioned in the tomb's outer inscription.
While there are still skeptics that say that Manas was not buried in this mausoleum, the sight has nonetheless become a popular destination and an important spiritual sight in Kyrgyzstan.
42°31′30″N72°22′57″E / 42.5250°N 72.3824°E /42.5250; 72.3824
 | ThisCentral Asianarchaeology article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
This article about a building or structure in Kyrgyzstan is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |