Reflections of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yesevi in Light of Visitor Comments

Vildan TÜYSÜZ; Serkan SEMİNT; Osman ÇAPAN; Onur ERASLAN; Gizem ÖZGÜREL

doi:10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI2.434

Authors

Vildan TÜYSÜZ Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Tourism, Department of Tourism Management, Sakarya, Türkiye.
Serkan SEMİNT Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, Karaman, Türkiye.
Osman ÇAPAN Atatürk University, Tourism Faculty, Department of Recreation Management, Erzurum, Türkiye.
Onur ERASLAN Harran University, Halfeti Vocational School, Department of Hotel-Restaurant and Catering Services, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6294-3352
Gizem ÖZGÜREL Balıkesir University, Burhaniye Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Tourism Management, Balıkesir, Türkiye.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI2.434

Keywords:

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Khoja Ahmet Yesevi Tomb, Social Representation Theory, Experience, TripAdvisor

Abstract

This study aims to reveal how intangible cultural heritage is perceived and experienced through visitors' comments about the Tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yesevi on the TripAdvisor platform. This research attempts to explain the process of making sense of the tomb experiences within the framework of Social Representation Theory, developed by Serge Moscovici (1988). The research was conducted using document analysis, a qualitative research design. 119 online visitor comments collected between May 26 and June 30, 2025, were analyzed using MAXQDA software. Based on the data obtained, eight main themes were identified: information and promotion, services and infrastructure, spiritual and emotional experience, accessibility and transportation, visitor satisfaction, physical space and architecture, cultural and historical awareness, and criticism and suggestions. The findings indicate that visitors consider the tomb not merely a place of worship but a multidimensional experiential space surrounded by aesthetic, historical, cultural, and emotional meanings. It demonstrates that the shrine is positioned in individuals' mental representations as a social object integrated with identity, belonging, and spirituality. In this context, the study reveals the decisive role played by online user narratives in the collective meaning-making and social construction of cultural heritage.

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