Аннотация
The aim of this study was to identify the mechanisms of religious transformation and cultural continuity in the countries of Central Asia through the analysis of Islamic discourse in texts and architecture. This study specifically addresses the research question: how does Islamic discourse influence both religious transformation and cultural continuity across different Central Asian contexts? The methodological framework included content analysis of religious sources (treatises, fatwas, sermons), discourse analysis of normative documents from the Soviet period, and thematic analysis of architectural forms. The empirical material encompassed Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, enabling a comparative examination of religious dynamics across the region. The research established that the Islamic tradition in the region maintained stable semantic and conceptual cores – such as dhikr, tariqa, akhlaq, umma, and iman – while their interpretations varied according to local cultural codes. In Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, Hanafi and Sufi rhetoric predominated; Tajikistan demonstrated the presence of philosophical-Shī‘a elements; in Turkmenistan, religious knowledge was interwoven into oral tradition and folklore. The Soviet period exhibited a profound transformation of the religious infrastructure: institutional continuity was disrupted, the language of religious discourse was altered, and sacred space was curtailed. At the same time, epic and poetic genres ensured the partial preservation of Islamic symbolism. Post-Soviet religious rhetoric assumed a regulatory character, reflecting the imperatives of nation-building. Contemporary fatwas and khutbas were dominated by themes of moderation, morality, social responsibility, and cultural identity. The architecture of sacred sites recorded the evolution of Islamic identity: from medieval mausoleums to contemporary mosques reflecting a synthesis of religious and state strategies. The original contribution of this study lies in providing a comprehensive comparative analysis of Islamic discourse across multiple Central Asian countries, integrating textual and architectural evidence to trace both continuity and transformation. A possible avenue for future research could explore the impact of digital media and online religious platforms on contemporary Islamic discourse and identity formation in the region.