Kum Altında Kalan Kadim Türkistan Şehirlerine Ziyaret

Kadim Türkistan şehirlerinin tarihsel süreçte sahip oldukları kültürel birikimin ve coğrafi karakterinin İngilizler tarafından ilgi nesnesi haline getirildiği bir dönemde Douglas Forsyth ve ekibinin 1873 yılında Doğu Türkistan’a gerçekleştirdiği seyahat, diplomatik ve ekonomik amacının dışında Orta Asya’yı ve Doğu Türkistan’ı daha kapsamlı tanıma ve inceleme çabalarını da beraberinde getirmiştir. Bu doğrultuda kum altında kalarak efsanevi bir şöhrete de bürünen eski yerleşimler ve bunlara dair saklı hazinelerin düşüncesi, bu seyahati kültürel izlerin takibine dönüştürmüştür. Seyahatin gerçekleştirildiği dönemde Doğu Türkistan’ın hakimi olan Yakup Bey ile geliştirilmeye çalışılan İngiliz Kaşgar Hanlığı münasebeti ise henüz karşılıklı güvenden yoksun vaziyettedir. Olumsuz şartlara rağmen Hoten ve çevresine yönelik gerçekleştirilen keşif gezileri sonucu elde edilen hazineler, kültürel izler bölgeye yönelik akademik ilginin artmasını sağlamıştır.

The Visit to the Ancient Cities of Turkistan Buried Under Sand

In a period when cultural background and geographical characteristics of ancient Turkestan cities became a field of interest for the British, Douglas Forsyth and his team’s journey to the East Turkestan in 1873, aside from its diplomatic and economic purpose, brought efforts to understand and explore Central Asia and East Turkestan more comprehensively. Thus, this visit was turned into a pursuit of cultural traces with the thought of old settlements buried under the sand with a mythical reputation and their sacred treasures. Relationship between the Yakub Beg, ruler of the East Turkestan, and British-Kashgar Khanate was lacking mutual trust during the period of the visit. Despite the inconvenient conditions, treasures and cultural traces gathered thanks to those expeditions carried out in Hotan and its vicinity, increased the academic interest towards the region.

Keywords:

Kashgar Khanate, Douglas Forsyth, ancient cities, East Turkestan expedition,

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