BUGAC, August 18. /Dunyo IA/.  “Great Hun - Turkic Kurultaj – 2026” international ethnographic festival, organized by the Hungarian “Magyar-Turan” Foundation, is being held in the Hungarian town of Bugac, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

This year, the event brings together representatives of the Turkic peoples and other countries interested in preserving and popularizing the historical and cultural heritage of the Eurasian steppes.

With the assistance of the Embassy of Uzbekistan, an Uzbek delegation consisting of representatives of Karakalpakstan, cultural figures, artists, and folk craft masters is participating in the Kurultaj.

Uzbekistan's participation allows presenting the country's rich historical and cultural heritage, national traditions, musical art, folk crafts and the unique culture of Karakalpakstan on the international stage.

A special place in the Kurultaj program is occupied by national crafts and traditional forms of culture. In the Oriental Bazaar zone, exhibition and trading platforms of Uzbek, Turkmen, Azerbaijani and Uyghur masters have opened. Concurrently, ethnographic yurts and demonstration platforms of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia are functioning. Uzbekistan is represented at the Oriental Bazaar in a dedicated space, where visitors can familiarize themselves with traditional products of national decorative and applied arts. Within the framework of the “Bukhara Oriental Bazaar” pavilion, artisans from Bukhara and Tashkent present their products alongside Hungarian masters. Visitors are presented with traditional items reflecting the rich schools of Uzbek applied art and the country's centuries-old crafting traditions.

Opportunity for direct communication between Uzbek and Hungarian artisans is generating particular interest. This format contributes not only to the popularization of national crafts but also to the formation of new professional and cultural contacts.

Central event of the program was the official opening of the Kurultaj and a ceremonial parade of flags, conducted with the participation of horse riders.

Ceremony was attended and addressed by Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Mayor of the town of Bugac László Szabó, Minister's Envoy for Cooperation with Turkic States and Member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Kürşad Zorlu, President of TİKA Abdullah Eren, and President of the Hungarian Turan Federation and Chief Organizer of the Kurultaj András Zsolt Bíró.

Participation of heads of international and national organizations underscores the significant international scale of the event and its importance in developing cultural and humanitarian interaction between the countries and peoples of the Turkic world.

A distinct element of the ceremony was a solemn procession of flags on horses, as well as a joint archery salute – “Kurultaj Arrow Volley”, dedicated to the historical ancestors and heroes of the Battle of Pressburg.

An important part of Uzbekistan's participation was the presentation of the cultural heritage of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Chairman of the Committee of the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan Murat Atamuratov addressed the event, emphasizing the significance of historical and cultural ties between Turkic peoples and the necessity of further developing humanitarian cooperation. Minister of Culture of Karakalpakstan Begisbay Temirbaev is also participating in the Kurultaj events.

A creative collective from Uzbekistan presented a national musical program, performing Uzbek and Karakalpak folk songs. The performances generated significant interest among the participants and guests of the festival, providing another opportunity to showcase the diversity of Uzbekistan's cultural heritage.

During contacts with the organizers of the Kurultaj, the Hungarian “Magyar-Turan” Foundation expressed interest in further expanding Uzbekistan's representation at subsequent events.

The participation of the delegation of Uzbekistan in the “Great Hun-Turkic Kurultaj – 2026” is of great importance for promoting the national cultural heritage and developing contacts between cultural and art figures, artisans, and representatives of public organizations.

Large-scale program of the Kurultaj, which brings together ethnography, archaeology, traditional art, crafts, music, equestrian and military heritage, scientific discussions, and international cultural dialogue, creates broad opportunities for strengthening ties between countries and peoples.

Uzbekistan's participation in this event contributes to the further development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation with Hungary and other participating countries of the Kurultaj, as well as to the promotion of the rich historical and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan on the international stage.