Türkiye welcomes Gokturk era archaeological discovery in Mongolia

The excavation, preservation and promotion of these monuments will continue to be one of the most important areas of cooperation between Türkiye and Mongolia, says the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The archaeological excavations have been carried out since 2019 in the Nomgon region.
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The archaeological excavations have been carried out since 2019 in the Nomgon region.

Türkiye has welcomed the discovery of a monument complex in Mongolia that is believed to belong to Ilterish Kutlug Kagan, the founder of the second Gokturk Khaganate.

"The discovery of the complex on Wednesday in Mongolia's Nomgon region, where the historical Otuken is also located, has been received with excitement and pleasure,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"This is the third important discovery within the geography of Mongolia after the Orkhon Inscriptions (Kul Tigin and Bilge Kagan) and Bilge Tonyukuk Inscriptions found in 1889 and 1897, respectively," it added.

It further said that this recent discovery, being a sign of Turkish-Mongolian cooperation, is a significant turning point for Turkish history and is also a new monument added to the cultural richness of Mongolia.

The excavations were conducted “by the Turkic Academy in Nur-Sultan, one of the components of the Organization of Turkic States, together with the Mongolian Archaeological Institute," informed the ministry.

Speaking at a news conference in the Mongolian capital on Wednesday, the head of the International Turkic Academy Darhan Kidirali said that the monument complex is 49 square metres, and was believed to be the oldest written piece of history from the Gokturk period, which dates back to the 6th century.

It’s also believed to be the oldest known written mention of the word 'Turk'.

READ MORE: Turkic inscription of Ilterish Kagan found in Mongolia

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The inscription, written in Turkic and Sogdian languages, is an important discovery in the field of Turkology.

Bilateral cooperation

In July, the remains of the summer residence of Hulagu Khan of the Ilkhanate Empire were found in Caldiran district of Türkiye’s Van province through the joint work of Turkish and Mongolian historians and archaeologists.

The excavation, preservation and promotion of these monuments will continue to be one of the most important areas of cooperation between the two countries, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

“In this regard, we would like to thank the Mongolian authorities for their support in the process and all the scientists that participated in the excavations,” it noted.

It was announced on Tuesday that during the archaeological excavations carried out since 2019 in the Nomgon region of Mongolia that the complex of Kutlug Ilterish Kagan, the father of Bilge Kagan and Kul Tigin, and an inscription were discovered.

In addition to these artefacts, 51 balbals (Kurgan stelae) and the remains of a building thought to be a place of worship were discovered in the excavation area.

READ MORE: The Turkic world is on the edge of a historic revival

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