Kazakhstan to create digital library of Turkic States

The Kazakh government is planning to create a digital library of Turkic states, according to a draft roadmap developed by the National Center for Manuscripts and Rare Books of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Turanews.kz reports.

The library would house over 160,000 manuscripts and rare books from the 12th to the 18th centuries on the history of Kazakhstan, as well as rare books in oriental and Old Slavonic languages, codes of laws, statistical surveys, and publications using Latin scripts.

The manuscripts and rare books would be digitized and translated into the state languages of the Turkic states. The library would also promote the study and preservation of Turkic languages and cultures.

The roadmap is being coordinated by state bodies, which are also studying funding issues. The creation of the digital library is expected to cost an estimated $10 million.

The digital library is part of a broader effort by the Kazakh government to promote Turkic culture and heritage. In 2018, the government launched the “Rukhani Qazyna” (Spiritual Treasure) program, which aims to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the Turkic peoples.

The digital library is expected to be completed in 2025. It will be accessible to researchers and the public from all over the world.