The Ojaq of Il-e Nafar-e Khamseh A Study of the Tamgha of the Il-e Nafar Tribe in the Context of Ancient Turkic Runic Script and Alphabet

Sattari, Mohammad Bagher; Pormoradi, Mohammad

The Ojaq of Il-e Nafar-e Khamseh A Study of the Tamgha of the Il-e Nafar Tribe in the Context of Ancient Turkic Runic Script and Alphabet

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad bagher Sattari ¹ ^¶

Mohammad Pormoradi ² ^¶

¹ Larestan

² Azad

Abstract

The Il-e Nafar tribe, residing in Fars province, is one of the Turkmen tribes with a rich historical background. Like other Oghuz Turkmens, it possesses its own specific symbol or tamgha, which has various applications. These applications include carving the tamgha on the tombstones of tribe members and branding it on livestock. This practice serves to distinguish the animals of the Il-e Nafar tribe from those of neighboring tribes and facilitates the identification and return of lost animals. This research, by reviewing the Ancient Turkic (Göktürk) Empire, the Yenisei inscriptions, the ancient Turkic runic script, the Orkhon Valley inscriptions, and the Orkhon alphabet, investigates the historical background of the Oghuz Turkmens and the Il-e Nafar tribe. Finally, it analyzes the similarities and correspondences between the tamghas of the Il-e Nafar tribe and ancient Turkic symbols.

Graphical Abstract