Stars, like all celestial bodies, play an important role in the mythopoetic image of the Kazakh world. In folklore there is a large number of myths and legends about the stars. Among the most famous are the Pole Star (Temirqazyq), Venus (Sholpan) and others. Each star, which is a symbol of constancy and order, is directly related to a person and his destiny. Popular belief says that stars can give and take away luck (ambivalent function).
In world culture, the eight-pointed star is a peculiar symbol of the unfolding and folding universe, but the five-pointed form was most often used by the Kazakhs. As a rule, it occupies a central position in the ornamental part of the rugs.
There are also numerous derivatives of this ornament: “zhūldyz gül”, “zhūldyz örnek” and “top zhūldyz”, which were most often used to decorate outerwear. The ornamentation of outerwear symbolises light, eternity and striving.
An octagonal rosette with a star in the centre, called “segiz kyrly örnek”, was often used for carpets and symbolises the universe, the cosmos. Segiz kyrly symbolises integrity and harmony.
