ASTANA – The Days of Kazakh Culture concluded on Feb. 7 in Doha, giving the public an opportunity to explore Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage, traditional sports and contemporary art.
Photo credit: gov.kz
The main events were held at the Darb Al Saai cultural and historical center, where exhibitions featured decorative and applied arts, contemporary fashion inspired by national motifs and an exposition from the National Museum of Kazakhstan.
The program also featured a showcase of traditional sports and hunting practices. Demonstrations of archery, falconry and hunting with the Kazakh tazy breed tazy offered insight into skills once essential for survival in the vast steppe and now preserved as part of cultural identity. Traditional cuisine drew crowds and according to those present at the event, left a strong impression on local audiences.
Kamilya Suleimenova, founder of the SHIMAI felt-based fashion brand, said the program in Doha offered a broader and more tactile introduction to Kazakhstan than audiences might expect.
Kamilya Suleimenova. Photo credit: personal archive
“During this visit, Kazakhstan expanded the way it presents itself, inviting Qatari audiences to experience not only concert programs and vocal, instrumental and dance performances, but also the full range of traditional Kazakh crafts,” Suleimenova told The Astana Times.
Workshops in felt-making became one of the most engaging elements, including a session attended by members of Qatar’s diplomatic corps, who, she noted, were surprised by the craft’s labor-intensive nature.
SHIMAI is a felt based brand from Kazakhstan. Photo credit: Suleimenova’s personal archive
“SHIMAI works at the intersection of traditional felt-making and contemporary fashion, promoting Kazakh decorative and applied arts. This is my first time participating in the Days of Culture, although I have taken part in international exhibitions before,” she added.
Suleimenova noted the diversity of crafts on display, including embroidery such as biz keste, jewelry-making, ceramics, weaving, wood carving, leatherwork and sewing.
Music and dance were at the core of the program. The Mezzo vocal group performed works blending world classical repertoire with Kazakh musical traditions, while the Zhoshy ethno-folklore ensemble and Birlik dance ensemble presented compositions rooted in ancient melodies and instruments.
Anel Marabayeva, art director of the Birlik dance ensemble, said the group spent nearly two months preparing for the Days of Culture, developing new choreography. They performed four pieces in total: “Shashu,” “Aisholpan,” “Bastau,” and “Akku.”
She described the four-day program as immersive, beginning with a gala concert and continuing with performances at the venue, where a full-scale ethno-village was created.
The response from Qatari audiences, she said, was marked by curiosity and attentiveness.
Anel Marabayeva (in the center) with the Birlik ensemble. Phot credit: Marabayeva’s personal archive
“They are genuinely curious and open to something new. They asked questions, watched closely and came to the concerts with real interest. There is a clear demand for this kind of art,” she added.
For the ensemble, dance is not only about art, but also about cultural diplomacy. The group has performed nearly ten times internationally over the past year, from Japan and China to Armenia and Russia. According to Marabayeva, each tour includes a friendship piece that weaves Kazakh culture together with that of the host country, an idea reflected in its broader project, The Dance of the Peoples of the World.
“Akku” dance. Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information
Looking ahead, the ensemble plans a major concert on March 13, tracing Kazakh traditions from birth to the final stages of life, and hopes to tour Europe later this year, including Switzerland, Germany and France.
Officials said the program aimed to strengthen cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Qatar, using art, music and tradition as a shared language. Kazakhstan is expected to host the Days of Qatar Culture in the near future.
“Events like this should take place in every country, not only at the government level, but in ways that allow people to engage directly with nomadic history. It is important that people don’t just see our culture on screens, but can touch it with their own hands,” Suleimenova said.
“We are a country with a rich history, and it matters that the world knows us not only as descendants of Genghis Khan, but as a culturally evolving nation with distinct roots,” she said.
