FIRE CULT RITUALS IN UZBEK WEDDING CEREMONIES (ON THE EXAMPLE OF SAMARKAND REGION TERRITORIES)

This article examines the manifestation of ancient beliefs, customs, and rituals associated with the fire cult within the system of traditional Uzbek family and domestic ceremonies, specifically in wedding rituals. The historical and mythological roots of these ceremonies are analyzed in connection with the concepts found in the "Avesta", the sacred text of Zoroastrianism. Furthermore, the paper highlights the local variants and symbolic-semantic meanings of rituals that have survived to this day in the villages of Bulungur, Jomboy, Ishtixon, Toyloq, and Urgut districts of the Samarkand region, such as "o‘t-o‘choq" (fire-hearth), "yog‘ soldi" (pouring oil), rotating a lamp around the bridal curtain (chimildiq) and the newlyweds, and lighting a bonfire at the entrance gate