The Historical Alphabet/Qalam
Discovering something new about the world in which our ancestors lived—and our own today—is a truly exciting experience! To share this joy with our readers, the Qalam editorial staff, together with the technology company Citix @citix.me, has created a fascinating project of important and interesting historical facts collected in an alphabet. You can now see them on Citix city smartboards and read more on our website.
Yasawi
A Twelfth-Century Poet, Philosopher, Ascetic, and Preacher
Khodja Ahmad Yasawi was born, as his name suggests, in the city of Yasi (in modern-day Turkestan), and he studied and preached in Bukhara. He was considered a direct heir to the spiritual teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. According to legend, Muhammad gave him this instruction encased in a persimmon bone—the fruit was kept for 400 years by one of Muhammad’s disciples, who was endowed with unparalleled longevity on such an occasion. At the end of his life, Yasawi returned to Yasi, where he built a dungeon cell and walled himself in until his death, considering himself unworthy of looking at the sun. More than 200 years after his death, a mausoleum was built over Yasawi’s tomb, which is now considered one of the cultural and architectural treasures of Kazakhstan.
Sufi and disciples, a modern illustration stylised from a medieval miniature painting/Wikimedia Commons
