{"id":97108,"date":"2024-01-11T13:39:30","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T12:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/?p=97108"},"modified":"2024-01-11T13:52:58","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T12:52:58","slug":"kazakhstan-aims-to-elevate-falconry-with-eagles-to-universal-art-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/kazakhstan-aims-to-elevate-falconry-with-eagles-to-universal-art-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Kazakhstan aims to elevate falconry with eagles to universal art form"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Falconry<\/strong> with eagles, an ancient tradition among Central Asian nomads<\/strong>, seeks to become a universal art that draws tourists worldwide to the steppes of Kazakhstan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“This tradition allows me to feel the true spirit<\/strong> of the nomads, my ancestors, who managed to domesticate such a proud bird and, with its help, obtain food,” Yeltai Muptekeyev, a trainer of berkuts<\/strong>, the golden eagles of the Central Asian steppe, told EFE.<\/p>\n

Falconry, a millennia-old art<\/strong>, straddles tradition and sport. Notably, the International Federation of Falconers<\/strong> was recently established, including specialists from Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan.<\/p>\n

\u00a0A Millennia-Old Tradition<\/h3>\n

Muptekeyev is one of 200 Kazakh falconers<\/strong>, known as “burkutchi<\/strong>,” who faithfully preserve this nomadic heritage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“I learned the secrets of eagle training from my father, he from his grandfather, and so on, up to seven generations<\/strong>. As long as I can remember, there has always been an eagle in my house,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He is now teaching<\/strong> his 18-year-old son, Yersultan, the art of falconry<\/strong>, which UNESCO<\/strong> declared in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.<\/p>\n

Falconry has been practiced for thousands of years<\/strong> on the Central Asian steppe and has long been a tradition<\/strong> in places like China, the Arab world, Europe, and Latin America.<\/p>\n

In Kazakhstan, the eagle is a national symbol<\/strong>, emblematic of freedom<\/strong> and independence<\/strong>, reminiscent of the hordes of Genghis Khan.<\/p>\n