In order to implement the state program «Ruhani Zhangiru» and the article by the Leader of the Nation N.A. Nazarbayev entitled «Seven Facets of the Great Steppe», Al-Farabi Kazakh National University has opened the All-Farabi’s House-Museum in Turkey. The project is implemented by KazNU together with the Istanbul Mayor with the support of the Turkic Council, TURKSOY and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Turkey.

The solemn ceremony was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Istanbul Shengul Arslan, the General Secretary of TURKSOY Dyusen Kaseinov, Rector of Al-Farabi KazNU Galym Mutanov and the Rector of University of Istanbul Mahmoud Ak, representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Turkey and the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Istanbul, the Kazakh diaspora in Europe, the Media and the public.

The opening of the ethnographic House Museum is timed to the celebration of the 1150th anniversary of Al-Farabi, which will be celebrated under the auspices of the UNESCO in 2020 on a broad international scale. Al-Farabi House Museum is located in the very center of Istanbul - one of the world leaders of tourism and the ethnographic museum complex of the Turkic world. It consists of several sections with unique information about the life and work of the great Turkic thinker Abu Nasr al-Farabi, who was called the Second Teacher of humanity after Aristotle. It presents sculptural composition, historical artifacts, the works of the scientist and books about the Thinker, who made a fundamental contribution to many areas of human knowledge.  

The heritage of Al-Farabi covers mathematics, philology, chemistry, biology, astronomy, philosophy, medicine, logic, sociology, political science, law, ethics and other fields of knowledge. His systematization and classification of sciences had influenced the subsequent development of world scientific thought. The creative activity of Al-Farabi fell on the era of the Renaissance of the medieval Arco-Muslim culture and became a connecting spiritual bridge between the West and the East. In addition, at present, the ideas of Al-Farabi are highly sought for rapprochement and mutual understanding of the cultures of Western and Eastern civilizations.

In the context of globalization and rapid development of technologies, and the emergence of new threats and challenges, the loss of cultural and spiritual values, Al-Farabi’s worldview, his views on the development of human civilization, as well as his socio-ethical, political, philosophical thoughts are becoming particularly relevant in our time.

«Establishment of a separate house-museum of Al-Farabi in Turkey opens another important milestone in popularizing the treasury of Turkic and Kazakh culture through the creative legacy of the Great Son of the Great Steppe - Al-Farabi, who played an invaluable role in the history of human civilization», - highlighted in his speech KazNU’s rector Galym Mutanov.

An interesting excursion program has been developed for museum visitors, and for Turkish schoolchildren, a special educational course has been prepared on the basis of the museum. Kazakh National University, which honorably bears the name of the great Turkic thinker Al-Farabi, is actively working to research and popularize his creative heritage, as well as to promote the culture of Kazakhstan and the achievements of the Great Steppe in the world. Based on Al-Farabi’s idea of a virtuous society, KazNU has developed a new generation university model - University 4.0 - where, along with an innovative technological platform, the spiritual and moral component is actively developed. This model was presented by KazNU’s Rector Galym Mutanov at the UN headquarters in New York, where it was recommended for implementation at the international level. Jointly with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, within the framework of the «Ruhani Zhangiru» program, KazNU has been implementing an international project «Forming Citizens of a Virtuous Society. The Mission of Modern Universities». Al-Farabi Research and Educational Centers have been opened and successfully operate at the leading Universities of Turkey, Jordan, Italy, China, Egypt, Bulgaria and other countries, where the culture and traditions of Kazakh people are promoted and the Kazakh language is studied.

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