The culture of Polish-Lithuanian Tatars in the Vilnius region

The article analyses the culture of the Tatars who came to the Vilnius region centuries ago. In 1945, most of the Tatars from the region decided to go to Poland during the process of repatriation, because they were entitled to do so as Polish citizens. First, the article provides a description of the Tatars' Muslim religion: the Quran, the doctrine and the dogmas of Islam, mosques, imams and their religious functions, festivals, and prayers. The subsequent part analyses Tatar's symbolic culture: science, writing, language diversity, legends and superstitions, professions; material culture: clothes, cuisine, the interiors of mosques and grave adornments; as well as their rituals and ceremonies: giving names to children, weddings, funerals, rites of brotherhood, sacrifice. All names and the terminology are given in their official and colloquial versions, as well as in the version 'that is used / was used in everyday conversations'. This shows the influence of the linguistic environment, which began already in the area of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Adapted from the source document