Europe | Giant steppes

Turkey and Central Asia are riding together again

The Organisation of Turkic States is a counterweight to Russia

A man holding an eagle stands for a portrait at the 5th World Nomad Games in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Photograph: Getty Images
|Astana

Just outside Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, a woman whips her horse into a canter, raises a wooden bow and sends three arrows whistling through the air, one after the other, to the delight of spectators. Golden eagles perch on their owners’ shoulders. Nearby, men on horseback fight over a goat carcass (made of rubber, a concession to animal-rights activists) in a game of kokpar. Smoke from vats of grilled lamb curls past dozens of white yurts.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Giant steppes”

From the September 28th 2024 edition

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