Ulaanbaatar hosts Altaic People International Conference

Over 200 scholars, linguists and researchers from 14 countries including Mongolia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Japan, China and the USA are participating in the 7th Altaic People International Scientific Conference. The conference started on August 6 and will conclude on August 10. The Altai people are people of Turkic descent living in places such as the Siberian Altai Republic and Altai Krai.

The participants of the conference discuss many topics such as the study of languages of the Altaic people, the Altaic history, traditions, culture, oral literature, legal status, religion, history and many others. Much of the language and customs of the Mongols and the Altaic people were influenced by each other due to historical relations and geographical allocations.

Altains are presented by two ethnographic groups including the Northern Altains; the Tulbar, Chelkans, Kumandin and the Shor. The Southern Altaians consist of Altaian (Altai-Kizhi), the Teleut, the Teles and the Telengit. The history of Altains is deeply rooted to Mongolia as for a period of time they were ruled by Mongolia as Telengid Province during the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Later on, the court referred to them as Altan Nuur Uriyankhangai.