Unique manuscripts from the 14th century written for the ruler of the
Golden Horde, Zhanibek, have been discovered in Istanbul by Kazakh scientist Omirbek Kanai during the research work. One manuscript,
written in Arabic in 1334, predates Zhanibek’s rise to sultan, while the other,
written in Persian in 1350, dates from his time as a ruler. The first
historical document contains gold-engraved hikmetes about the ancestors of Zhanibek Sultan, from Genghis Khan to his father, Uzbek Khan. Copies
of the manuscripts have already been delivered to the Central State Archive in
Almaty. Plans include deciphering and translating them, and then publishing the materials as a separate book.
Notably, the work was carried
out as part of the Archive-2025 project.
«The historical value of these works is indicated by the fact that the inside cover of both manuscripts bears a seal of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II. It can be speculated that the manuscripts were presented on purpose or deliberately left in the Ottoman palace. This is what remains to be clarified in the future,» said Omirbek Kanai, researcher at the Central State Archive.
