Historical documents on the origin of the Gokturk Alphabet

The Gokturk Khaganate serves as a role model state for contemporary Turkic states. This can be proven from various aspects such as language, culture, law, social life, and governance. Particularly, when focused on the subject of language and alphabet, it is possible to dilate on this foundation. The foundation of the Gokturk Alphabet emerges as a manifestation of the abstract and concrete accumulation of Turkish culture spanning thousands of years. When delving into the history of rock paintings, the earliest rock paintings belonging to the Turks appear in the Lena Rock Paintings area in Russia. These rock paintings, estimated to date back to 14,000-12,000 BC, can be considered the first traces of Turkish culture. By 10,000 BC, rock paintings gradually diminished in size, transitioned from concrete to abstract meanings, and became stylized, taking the form of tamgas. By around 3,000 BC, tamgas significantly reduced in size, almost turning into letters, and the intended message was conveyed not through significant efforts but rather through writing. The journey of Turkish culture through rock paintings, tamgas, and letters did not remain confined to a specific geography but spread and engraved across various parts of the world. In conclusion, in this thesis, the origin of the letters in the Gokturk Alphabet has been investigated, and efforts have been made to determine the connections between letters and tamgas by examining them from various perspectives, including mythological, social, and political aspects. The resemblance of many letters to tamgas, establishing solid reasons for minor variations, identifying traces of common features of Turkish culture in tamgas and letters, and demonstrating the similarity of rock paintings, tamgas, and letters in different and distant geographical locations all contribute to supporting the idea we advocate.