The latest issue of the quarterly popular science magazine «Miras» has been published, prepared for printing by the Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts named after Magtymguly of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan in Turkmen, Russian and English.

The publication continues a series of publications on new discoveries, research results in the field of historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of the Turkmen people, including manuscripts, as well as on issues of linguistics, literary criticism and historical science.

The front pages of the magazine contain congratulatory addresses of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the people of independent neutral Turkmenistan on the occasion of the National Day of the Turkmen Horse, the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the Day of the Constitution and the State Flag of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen Carpet Day, World Bicycle Day, Science Day, the Day of Cultural and Art Workers, as well as the poetry of Magtymguly Fragi, which were solemnly celebrated in the International Year of Peace and Trust.

The traditional section «New Scientific Discoveries» presents an article by the rector of the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly O. Ovezsahatov «Poetics and Literary Traditions in the Works of Halil ibn Aybek», which tells us that each nation, creating literature, leaves its own unique imprint on it, regardless of external cultural influences (religion, language, traditions). The best examples of folk art, the wise thoughts of great masters and a rich literary and scientific heritage were passed down from generation to generation.

In this regard, the study of the life of our ancestors, who made a significant contribution to world literature and science, remains a key task for the modern scientific community. One of the outstanding personalities is Aybek Safadi, who lived in the state of the Mamluk-Turkmen. He was a civil servant, a master of religious sciences, a skilled writer and poet. Safadi's literary works, reflecting the cultural and social conditions of the Mamluk epoch and the development of Arabic literature, play a major role in the study of history, being a valuable source of information about his time.

Following the literary traditions of his predecessors, Safadi also introduced innovations. A striking example of his innovation is the alphabetical order of names regardless of the status, epoch of life or age of the personalities described. Safadi expounded in detail the principles of chronology of important events and numbers, the rules for using references, Arabic proper names and nicknames in historiography, as well as systems of historical and biographical order, and provided explanations of the terms used.

In the material of the senior research fellow of the Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts named after Magtymguly «Abdurahman Jami and the Peculiarities of His Literary Work» it is noted that the main principle permeating the literary heritage of the great masters of the word of the East is humanism. It is expressed in the desire for a happy, friendly and peaceful life of people, for mutual assistance and spiritual unity. In this case, it is necessary to mention such names as Saadi Shirazi, Nizami, Abdurahman Jamy, Dovletmammet Azady, Magtymguly Fragi. They dedicated their work to the elevation of man, the dissemination of humane principles. It was such contacts between peoples that led to the semantic and content similarity in literature, as well as to the formation of completely new literary schools.

The article emphasises the merits of the outstanding master of oriental classical literature of the 15th century Abdurahman Jamy in the field of science, who made a huge contribution to the flourishing of Persian-Tajik literature. As Hero-Arkadag notes in his book «The Meaning of My Life», the scientist wrote works that provide reliable information about famous poets of the Turkmen people. A native of Horasan, Jamy was also known as a writer, philosopher, musicologist, statesman, mentor, miniaturist and calligrapher.

The traditional section «Interaction of Cultures and Civilisations» opens with the publication «Improvisations of Bagshy in Turkmen Folk Songs». As the author of the article emphasises, works of folk art, enriched and polished by the wisdom and talent of many generations, represent the highest example and priceless treasury of the national spiritual heritage, reflecting behavioural patterns, traditions and customs, the life experience of ancestors, as well as the culture of education and the rich creative world of the people. Among these works, the song genre is one of the most common in everyday life.

Particular emphasis is placed on the songs of the bagshy, selected from folk destans and epics, as well as songs without music, whose authors remain unknown. The song genre of oral folk art was originally created by talented and poetically gifted people. Improving and passing from mouth to mouth, these works among the people were transformed into songs performed to the accompaniment of the dutar. Performers of destans and epics were called destanchy. In contrast, bagshy-tirmechi performed only selected songs, as well as songs based on the poems of classical poets.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in his book «Bagshy - harbingers of national happiness» notes the diversity of bagshy performing schools. He emphasises that such schools as the Ahal, Damana, Salyr-Saryk, Arsary, Yomut-Goklen and Chovdur schools have preserved their traditional performance methods.

The author of the article «Kutbeddin Gözli Ata» notes that in the 13th century, in the coastal regions of the Caspian Sea, there lived the pride of the Turkmen people, the seer of Mangyshlak, the Sufi poet from the Ata clan of the Turkmens Gul Geday - Gözli Ata, who had a significant influence on the formation of a number of poets. This outstanding personality left a deep mark on the Caspian branch of the literary school of Hoja Ahmet Yasawy. Among his followers and contemporaries, one can single out such masters of the word as Yhsan Shyh - Dana Ata, who lived in the Balkans in the 16th century, Shir Kebir, known under the pseudonym of Qurayshi Nedir shahyr, Orazmammet Sopy Kazy, nicknamed Misgini, Mammettach shahyr, Magtymguly Fragi and Durdy shyh, and in the 19th century - Talibi, Misgingylych.

The article «Turkmen scientists expand the horizons of cooperation with Europe» is also presented to the attention of readers, which contains information about the activities of Turkmen scientists who visited the Federal Republic of Germany from 14th of May to 14th of June of this year. They held a seminar-presentation on the topic «Scientific cooperation of the Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts named after Magtymguly of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan with the European Union», studied manuscripts in Old Turkmen, Arabic and Persian languages in the Berlin State Library, and took part in the international scientific conference of Turkic-speaking countries «The Contribution of the Turks to World Science and Culture».

Having visited the scientific libraries of Leipzig and Frankfurt, Turkmen scientists donated books by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to these libraries as a sign of strengthening cultural and scientific ties.

The magazine ends with the traditional column «Chronicle of Scientific and Cultural Life». Here, in chronological order, the progressive peacekeeping course and socially oriented large-scale transformations successfully implemented under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan in the name of strengthening the economic power and further prosperity of the Fatherland, the well-being of the Turkmen people are reflected.

It should also be noted that the publication is made at a high printing level, colourfully illustrated with reproductions of paintings and photographs by modern masters, rare museum, archival materials and cartographic drawings. The quarterly popular science magazine «Miras» is intended for a wide readership.