Over thousands of years, Central Asia has been a bridge between different religions and cultures. The introduction of Islam in the seventh century CE ushered in an era of social and cultural change to the region, which saw both new beliefs and practices, as well as some pre-Islamic sacred places being transformed into Islamic ones, and the cult of saints absorbing elements of both local and Arab mythology. Islamic Culture and Pre-Islamic Beliefs in Central Asia, a project initiated by the Balkan History Association, focuses on Islamic culture, traditions, and pre-Islamic beliefs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In a broader sense, it promotes the history and culture of Central Asia in Southeast Europe. The chapters emphasize the importance of religious life, the significance of certain “sacred places,” which became major places of worship, and their role in the socio-spiritual life of Central Asian society. Local or “folk” forms of Islam and their historical and cultural background are also discussed. This volume includes research spanning a period from antiquity to the Post-Soviet era to explore how landscapes of religious places and practices were interpreted and reinterpreted through time.
