The phenomenon of the city in kazakh and turkish literary studies: the formation, development, and study of the city

Abstract

The article examines and analyzes the formation, development, and impact of various types of cities on social structures, which have become key objects of interdisciplinary research as a result of contemporary urbanization processes. The main aim of the study is to explore the emergence and development of cities from historical and literary perspectives, to identify the functions and forms of the city based on analyses of cultural, ecological, and new urban social ideas, and to highlight their distinctive features. The research material includes works by domestic and foreign scholars who have studied the nature and structure of the city, the transformation of its models, as well as ancient cultural and historical heritage.

In the context of globalization and rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of the city has become one of the principal indicators of societal development. The expansion and increasing complexity of urban space contribute to new forms of social relations, cultural codes, ecological awareness, and spiritual values. These processes necessitate viewing the city not merely as a geographical or economic structure, but as a complex socio-cultural, historical, and symbolic system. Therefore, a comprehensive study of the formation and development of cities, as well as the influence of different city types on public consciousness, culture, and literature, has become one of the pressing issues in contemporary humanities scholarship. Changes in the social image of the city are also increasingly reflected in literary discourse. In this study, these processes are analyzed through scholarly classifications and interpretations, as well as through the metamorphoses of social consciousness characteristic of specific urban types.

The research addresses issues such as the “concept of the city,” “urban history,” “mythological foundations,” “functions of the city,” “transformation of city types,” and “the city in literature.” It also examines the influence of the city on society and literature and substantiates the significance of the image of the city in literary space.