The concept of renewal and cultural continuity in the nauryz festival: a philosophical and cultural analysis in the context of the turkic worldview

Abstract

The Nauryz celebration is one of the significant manifestations of the traditional worldview of Turkic peoples, reflecting their understanding of the interconnectedness of nature, time, and human existence. Although the historical formation and ethnocultural characteristics of the celebration have been examined in various studies, its philosophical meaning and cultural foundations within the Turkic worldview require further consideration. This article approaches Nauryz as a cultural phenomenon in which the spiritual values, cultural continuity, and ways of perceiving the world characteristic of Turkic peoples are articulated.
The study aims to examine the Turkic model of Nauryz from philosophical and cultural perspectives, identify its place within the Turkic worldview, and clarify its significance in the contemporary cultural context. The research employs historical-comparative, comparative, hermeneutic, and cultural approaches. Historical and cultural sources, folklore heritage, ethnographic materials, and scholarly works related to Turkic and Iranian peoples are examined comparatively.
The analysis demonstrates that Nauryz cannot be reduced to a celebration of the seasonal renewal of nature. Its meaning encompasses interconnected ideas of harmony between humans and nature, the cyclical nature of time, social unity, renewal, and cultural continuity across generations. From this perspective, Nauryz can be understood as a form of cultural memory that connects the past with the present within the Turkic worldview. At the same time, the contemporary significance of the celebration is closely associated with current approaches to preserving national identity and cultural integrity.
The scholarly novelty of the study lies in approaching Nauryz not merely as an ethnographic or traditional celebration, but as a cultural-philosophical phenomenon that reveals the value structure of the Turkic worldview. This approach provides a deeper understanding of the relationships between Nauryz, tradition, cultural memory, national identity, and the Turkic worldview. The findings may provide a theoretical basis for further research on the Nauryz phenomenon within the fields of philosophy of culture, cultural studies, and Turkic studies.
Keywords: Nauryz, Turkic worldview, philosophy of culture, cultural studies, cultural heritage, traditional celebrations, national identity, cultural code, spiritual values, Turkic civilization.