Culture

01Dress and handwork

Etles is a silk ikat traditionally made by the Uyghur and Uzbek peoples. It was made for men’s and women’s clothing and is now also used for soft furnishings and accessories; Hotan and its surrounding towns are among the largest production sites. The doppa is a square or round skullcap decorated with embroidery and beads.

Doppas are worn by men, women and children of all ages. Colours, designs and sizes can indicate the wearer’s gender, hometown and more. The designs draw heavily on the natural world, with leaves, flowers, pomegranates and almonds among them.

02Gatherings and the performing arts

A meshrep gathering brings together music, dance, drama, folk arts, acrobatics, oral literature, foodways and games, with muqam as its most comprehensive art form. In 2010 Meshrep was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Meshreps were held at harvest time and on occasions such as weddings. An older man led the gathering, and besides songs and dances there were sessions that judged questions of conduct. Participation is not limited to men: people of any age are said to take part by singing, dancing, guessing riddles or playing games.

• muqam→
• music→
• dance
• drama
• folk arts
• acrobatics
• oral literature
• foodways→
• games

03Books handed down

Modern Uyghurs consider the literature of the Kara-Khanid period an important part of their literary tradition. Surviving works include Yusuf Khass Hajib’s Kutadgu Bilig (1069–70) and Mahmud al-Kashgari’s Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk.

• 1069–70 Kutadgu BiligKashgarSee it on the history timeline →
• 1072–74 Dīwān Lughāt al-TurkBaghdadSee it on the history timeline →