Born on March 28, 1981, in the village of Bayetov, she graduated from the Esengul Karasartov school and later got married in the village of Ak-Tal. Her husband, Alybek Makeev, works as a teacher at the Askar Turdakunov school. They have been married for 25 years and are raising five children.
Makhabat shared that the traditions of the craft she continues were passed down to her from her grandmother on her father's side and her husband's great-grandmother.
“My grandmother was a true master, and my great-grandmother and mother-in-law also engaged in handicrafts. Since childhood, I have been passionate about creativity, and I probably have a talent for it — I quickly mastered new skills. I engage in spinning, felting wool, making shyrdaks, and weaving taara. I am also interested in patchwork sewing and work on a loom,” she shared.
Akimalieva described the process of weaving taara, using traditional Kyrgyz tools that are now rarely found:
“I hide threads made from sheep's wool, dye and prepare the yarn. Then I weave taara using ancient tools: adyrgy, kylch, and uchmara. With their help, a taara can reach a length of 20 meters and a width of 20 to 30 centimeters. From this material, I make kurzhuns, bags for alchiks, and horse harnesses. From one taara, I can get 6-7 kurzhuns. A kurzhun is a sturdy bag that is convenient to carry on a horse. I hide the threads in winter and weave in summer, as it requires a lot of space. The adyrgy helps to separate the threads, the kylch compresses the fabric, and the uchmara is a device for moving the taut threads. Mathematical precision is important in weaving taara; by the way, the loom I work on was passed down to me from my mother-in-law,” she explained.
Gallery: Makhabat Akimalieva
Despite the challenges, Makhabat continues her craft, striving to preserve it for future generations.
“I do this work to preserve the Kyrgyz national craft. No external factors, such as summer heat or rain, stop me. I have household chores and responsibilities, but I always find time for my creativity. Making a shyrdak is a separate process that requires patience. I can make one shyrdak in a year; before that, I made and sold ten. Everything I create by hand, I use at home, give to friends, or sell. I especially often receive orders from shepherds and livestock breeders who go to the jailoo,” Makhabat said.
One of her shyrdaks even found a buyer in Switzerland.
“I participate in craft exhibitions in the Ak-Tal district and visit the festival at Son-Kul every year. Although I have never won any prizes, my goal is not that — the main thing is to preserve and showcase our craft. Every year, I see only a few people at the festival who engage in weaving taara. Once a woman bought a shyrdak from me, and her daughter married a Swiss man. When they came to her mother, they saw my shyrdak and decided to buy it. They were amazed that it was made from natural wool. They had a little daughter, and they said she would sit on it. I specifically made this shyrdak unique by combining black and gray felt and adding a white border, without using dyes,” Makhabat concluded her story.
Note:
Taara - rough cloth, burlap. This is a coarse handwoven fabric, a strong material made from thick yarn using plain weave from various fibers, of classic origin, from which rugs, blankets, coarse outerwear, etc., are made. It is rarely found in our time.
