Abstract
Based on scholarly research, the article analyzes the historical role of dervishes
and their impact on local culture. The heritage of the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi school is considered
the foundation of Turkestan's unique identity. Priority is given to identifying the socio-cultural
potential of the dervish institution. As the main hypothesis, integrating dervish heritage into
modern tourism is argued to be the key mechanism for preserving regional identity. This
phenomenon shaped Turkestan's spiritual appearance and influenced the entire Islamic world.
Dervishes became figures who formed the people's spiritual identity.
They founded a spiritual school aligned with the steppe worldview. Through Sufi efforts,
numerous shrines and tekkes were built, becoming a main thread in integrating religious
life. This historical continuity has raised spiritual tourism in Kazakhstan to a higher level.
Today, Turkestan is a sacred place uniting the Turkic world, where dervish traditions are being
revived and highly valued through pilgrimage culture.
Scientific data on dervishes are systematically organized, and their contribution to shaping the city’s identity is identified. Emphasis is placed on the great importance of dervish heritage
in enriching tourism. These issues are comprehensively analyzed based on the fundamental
methodological principles of modern social anthropology and cultural geography.
01 Introduction
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