The ideas of cleanliness among the Turks of Central Asia in 11-12 cc.
The article is concentrated on some concepts concerning cleanliness / hygiene presented in two of the most important monuments of Turkic literature of the Qarakhanid era (992-1212) in Central Asia, which reflect both the life of non-Muslim Turks and Islamic didactics. “Diwan lughat at-Turk”, or “Compendium of Turkic dialects”, created by Mahmud Kashgari between 1072-1077, is a valuable source that contains information about everyday life, material culture, history, geography, ethnography, poetry and folklore of the Turkic settled and nomadic population of Central Asia of the 11th century. This monument also keeps the ideas of hygiene, cleanliness, neatness that existed at that time among various Turkic tribes, many of which did not profess Islam at that time: Mahmud Kashgari cites a fairly significant layer of household vocabulary, directly or indirectly related to cleanliness - the cleanliness of drinking and food, clothing, and hygiene in general. Another significant work related to the Qarakhanid era is “Kutadgu Bilik” (“The Blessed Knowledge”), a didactic tretatise in poetical form written by Yusuf Balasaguni in 1068 and dedicated to the ruler of Kashgar titled Boğra Khan. It is the oldest dated Uyghur monument of Muslim content. The monument is devoted more to the moral qualities of the ruler and his environment, their description prevails over others; this is the instructing and edifying guidance on ruling the state, court and people. There is also the idea of “cleanliness” (including prepared medicines, medicines, beverages) in the detailed description of the necessary requirements for such positions as head cook or cupbearer but mostly this quality also means for them a more moral and ethical category of moral purity associated with loyalty to the ruler and personal honor.