Manas

Manas may refer to:

Cultural anthropology

University

Toponyms

Geographic locations

Epic of Manas

The Epic of Manas (Kyrgyz: Манас дастаны, Turkish: Manas Destanı) is a traditional epic poem of the Kyrgyz people. Composed and sung entirely in oral form by various singers throughout the centuries. As nomads, the Kyrgyz had no written language. Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov notes: "If other peoples/nations displayed their past culture and history in written art, the sculpture, architecture, theatre and literature, Kyrgyz people expressed their worldview, pride and dignity, battles and their hope for the future in epic genre."

Today there are about sixty versions of the epic Manas recorded from various epic singers and oral poets. Its longest version, consisting of half a million poetic lines, was written down from one of the last master-manaschï (singers of Manas) Saiakbai Karalaev (1894-1971). The epic is indeed unique in its size. It is twenty times longer than the Homeric epics Iliad (15693) and Odyssey (12110) taken together and two and a half times the length of the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Manas (urban-type settlement)

Manas (Russian: Мана́с) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Karabudakhkentsky District of the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 5,357.

History

It was established on June 9, 2005 by splitting it from the urban-type settlement of Manaskent (which was subsequently transformed into a rural locality).

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, the urban-type settlement of Manas is incorporated within Karabudakhkentsky District as Manas Settlement (an administrative division of the district). As a municipal division, Manas Settlement is incorporated within Karabudakhkentsky Municipal District as Manas Urban Settlement.

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