RITUALS, TRADITIONS, AND CEREMONIAL PRACTICES OF THE CARPET WEAVING PROCESS IN THE VALLEYS OF CHON-ALAI, BATKEN, LEILEK, AND NOOKAT IN SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN

Abstract

The article examines the ritual, ceremonial, and symbolic aspects of traditional carpet weaving in southern Kyrgyzstan, specifically in Chon-Alai, Batken, Leilek, and Nookat. The author analyzes weaving as a complex cultural practice that encompasses not only productive activity but also a broad system of ethnocultural meanings, social interaction, and intergenerational transmission of knowledge. The study focuses on the gender-specific nature of the craft, sacred rituals marking the initiation and completion of the weaving process, the significance of ornaments as carriers of symbolic codes, and the role of carpets in life-cycle events and family rituals. The methodology is based on ethnographic field materials collected in the Osh and Batken regions, including oral narratives, observation, and participation in rituals.