Kazakhstan’s “Golden Man” Heads To Turkey

Items of cultural and historic significance from Kazakhstan will go on display in Ankara next month, bringing a sampling of Caspian culture to the Turkish capital.

“The Great Steppe: History and Culture” will open at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara on September 12, featuring more than 200 items from the collection belonging to the Kazakhstan National Museum. The exhibit is open to the public through October 12.

“The purpose of the exhibition is to familiarize a foreign audience with the rich historical and cultural heritage of Kazakhstan,” reads a statement published to the project’s website.

Included in the travelling collection are some of the greatest examples from the Caspian and Central Asia regions country, where Turkic culture is dominant. The main attraction is “Golden Man” – the remains of a man and his gold body armor, as well as other precious funerary artifacts that are considered some of the most striking archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

The exhibition in Ankara will also showcase a silver bowl found with runic inscriptions – the earliest known example of writing in Kazakhstan.

The remains of the “Golden Man” or Altyn Adam were found in 1969 during archaeological excavations at the Saka burial places in Kazakhstan. The tomb of the ancient warrior also contained more than 4,000 items made of gold, such as details used to decorate clothes, as well as jewelry and household utensils.

Archaeologists from all over the world worked together to recreate the appearance of a Saka warrior using artifacts found in the tomb. The priceless discovery was dubbed the “Kazakh Tutankhamen.” The golden ornaments found on his crown and depicting tulpar, a mythological winged horse similar to Pegasus, have become a state emblem of Kazakhstan.

The armor of the “Golden Man” has become a symbol of Kazakhstan’s national heritage touring the world and acting as a sort of calling card for Kazakh culture since 2017. After almost half a century after the discovery was made, the Kazakhstan National Museum launched an international project called “The Golden Man Procession through the World’s Museums,” which has been showing the remains of a Saka warrior around the globe. Belarus, Azerbaijan, China, Poland, South Korea, Russia and Macedonia are just a few of many countries where “Golden Man” was exhibited.

Next year, “Golden Man” is expected to visit the United States, Italy, Austria, France and Germany.