Abstract
This study aims to analyze the symbolic meanings, educational functions, and culturalcontinuity in the modern era of the Kara Şañırak motif and institution, which holds a centralplace in Kazakh folk prose and cultural memory, from an interdisciplinary perspective. Theresearch is significant due to the limited number of systematic studies addressing the topicat the intersection of cultural semiotics, ethnopedagogy, and folklore, and it seeks to shedlight on the transmission mechanisms of intangible cultural heritage. Adopting a qualitativeresearch design, this study interprets data derived from the semiotic and descriptive analysisof ethnographic and folkloric texts (such as ertegi, ańyz, and batyrlar jırı), traditional legaltexts (e.g., Zheti Zhargy), and contemporary cultural practices (e.g., monuments and nationalsymbols) through the theoretical frameworks of ethnosymbolism and cultural semiotics. Thefindings reveal that Kara Şañırak is not merely an architectural element but also a powerfulsymbol of familial continuity, respect for ancestors, and the intergenerational transmission ofmoral values. The term kara is shown to possess semantic depth, conveying venerability, sanctity,and historicity rather than merely denoting a color. Furthermore, the institution, structuredaround its inheritance by the youngest son (kenje bala), is actively reproduced in contemporarycontexts, such as national identity construction and the representation of collective trauma.The study confirms the formative and educational role of Kara Şañırak within Kazakh culture,highlighting its function as a dynamic indicator of cultural resilience and identity continuity bybridging traditional values with modern contexts. It also suggests that future research shouldexplore the comparative reflections of this symbol across the Turkic world.