― 3 октября 2025 г.

Participants of the Photographers' Gathering of TURKSOY pass on their experience to younger generations

Under the coordination of TURKSOY, senior photographers passed on their knowledge to younger generations at the Photographers' Gathering of TURKSOY  held under the motto ‘Mount Sulaiman: Four Seasons’ in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. 

Aiming at immortalizing the cultural heritage of the Turkic World through photographs and pass it on to future generations, participating photographers visited and photographed the sacred Mount Sulaiman and important sites around it in the city of Osh. Within this framework, an extensive excursion was organised. Despite unfavourable weather conditions, all photographers did their best to capture images of Mount Süleyman which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Kyrgyzstan's most important locations. Following two days of fieldwork, photographers gathered to share their experiences.

Held in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policies of Kyrgyzstan, the City Council of Osh, the Osh Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after T. Sadikov, the Osh State University, the Kyrgyz– Uzbek International University  and the ‘Mount Sulaiman’ National Museum Complex of History and Archaeology, the Photographers’ Gathering of TURKSOY also featured  masterclass sessions at the Film Academy of the Osh State University where senior photographers Ayhan Şenbayrak, Alimcan Jorabaev, Yernur Manaphan, Maksat Sagırbayev, and Orhan Ezimov shared their knowledge and experience with students with a presentation on ‘The Use of Light in Nature and Architectural Photography’, giving them an insight into the intricacies of the art of photography.

The photographers also participated in the round table meeting on ‘The Role of Photography in the Preservation of Cultural Heritage’ held at the ‘Süleyman-Too’ National Museum Complex of History and Archaeology named after Batıralı Sıdykov. 

The round table discussion took place with the participation of Prof. Dr. Aida Baltabayeva, Vice-Rector of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek International University, Mar Topoyev, the Representative of Kyrgyzstan to TURKSOY, Mederbek Aparhanov, the General Director of the ‘Sulaiman-Too’ National Museum Complex of History and Archaeology, the General Director of Photograph and Document Archives Mederbek Aparhanov, the historian Prof. Dr. Baybolot Abıtov, and the French scholar Prof. Dr. Xavier Alle participated as speakers in the round table meeting, who all stressed the importance of photography as a historical document shedding light on  history from the past to the present.

The meeting also featured a presentation using documentary archive photographs on French scientist Paul Pelliot's 1906 expedition to southern Kyrgyzstan, his visit to Osh, and his role in photographing Kurmancan Datka, one of Kyrgyzstan's important figures.