Nomadic sojourn as well as the ambition of political expansion propelled most Turkic peoples West from the Mongolian Plateau to what is now called by some Central Eurasia. In origin, they were a shamanistic people, believing in many deities such as Tengri, the sky god, and seeking the spirit realm with religious rituals and superstitious practices. Along their journey most encountered Islam and have rooted their identity in being Muslim ever since. The vast region of Middle Asia, what some colloquially call “the stan’s” include Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. These countries contain primarily ethnically Turkic peoples and speak Turkic languages. In the same region, however, Tajikistan and Afghanistan speak Persian languages. Azerbaijan, nestled to the East of Turkey, in between Armenia and the Caspian Sea, is also ethnically Turkic. Azeri acquaintances say that they can get along well in dialogue with Turks—a linguistic resemblance that may be likened to the
