ASHGABAT, February 10. /Dunyo IA/.  On the eve of the 5th International Symposium “Navoi and the Eastern Renaissance”, held in honor of the 585th anniversary of the birth of the great poet and thinker Alisher Navoi, Ashirmat Garlyev, senior correspondent of the newspaper “Adalat”, journalist, poet and writer, commented to Dunyo Information Agency on the significance of Navoi’s legacy in shaping the spiritual and cultural identity of the peoples of Central Asia:

-  Alisher Navoi has long enjoyed deep love and respect among the Turkmen people. Our ancestors saw in him a defender of the disadvantaged, a patron of ordinary people, and for this reason, he became one of the central and most cherished figures in their folklore.

Turkmen folklore has preserved a rich collection of anecdotes, legends and tales intimately connected with Navoi’s name. In these stories, he is portrayed as a man of profound wisdom, unwavering justice and subtle wit - a figure close to the people, attuned to their joys and sorrows.

The popular perception of Navoi’s persona vividly reflects the enduring spiritual bond between the great poet’s work and the cultural consciousness of the Turkmen people.

The study of Alisher Navoi’s legacy in Turkmenistan allows for a deeper and more precise understanding of the processes of mutual influence and enrichment among the literary traditions of Turkic peoples, their spiritual dialogue and shared historical heritage.

Navoi’s creative legacy continues to remain an integral and highly significant part of the region’s spiritual and cultural landscape to this day.