When people in Kazakhstan began to celebrate Nauryz?

The magic sound of dombra is one of the signs that the holiday is around the corner. A faithful companion of the nomad, the musical instrument is continuously played to welcome the spring. It’s not surprising that not a single mass festival can be celebrated without the sound of the dombra.

Olzhas Baibekov is a professional musician. His repertoire includes nearly 30 of his own compositions (quey) with the very first one written when he was 10. The compositions were inspired by the preparation of Nauryz celebration. While the musicians are preparing their compositions, scientists are debating over the question – when did Nauryz first celebrated in Kazakhstan? A group of them believed that the Day of the Spring Equinox was celebrated nearly 2 and a half thousand years ago, while another group claimed that the holiday was celebrated 5 thousand years ago. Meanwhile, modern ethnographers argued that the Nauryz celebration began even much earlier.