The urban population quickly adapted to the new religion, while the majority of the nomadic population of the Syr Darya steppes, Tian-Shan and Alay were converted later, because the nomads did not understand the official language of Islam. The largest conversion of nomads to Islam took place only in the 12th century, when preachers from the local Turkic environment appeared. The most prominent person who converted a lot of nomads to Islam was the first “Turkic sheikh” who lived on Syr Darya, poet and theologian Khoja Ahmad Yasawi. Amir Timur ordered a mausoleum built over his grave in the city of Yasi/ Turkestan, which is still one of the most popular places of pilgrimage for the whole Turkic world.
In connection with the adoption of Islam, the usual cultural ties have also changed. A rapprochement with other cultures of the Muslim world began, aided by the fact that by the end of the 11th century the Turkic language started to be recorded in Arabic script.
Under the Karakhanids, many prominent Islamic scholars and theologians created their works. The eminent Turkic linguist Mahmud al-Kashghari, whose work “Diwan Lughat al-Turk” is an encyclopedia of Turkic languages of the 11th century, was born in the city of In the city of Barskhan on Issyk-Kul Lake. In connection with the new religion requirements, special attention is paid to the construction of mosques and baths in cities. Rooms for ablutions, tahoratkhona, appear in the houses of ordinary citizens.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "Collection of the State Hermitage Mavarannakhr Art 8th – 15th centuries" (XV volume) from the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
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Who was Khoja Ahmad Yasawi?
The adoption of Islam further north-east should be considered a turning point in the culture of the Karakhanid era.