. ▁ ▁Ott oman ▁travel er ▁Ev li ya ▁ Ç ele bi ▁called ▁the ▁Sh am k hal ▁" a ▁natural ▁O gh uz ". ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁arguments ▁of ▁the ▁Turk ic ▁version ▁is ▁that ▁Sh am kh als ▁were ▁elected ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁is ▁traditional ▁for ▁Turk ic ▁pe op les ▁— ▁toss ing ▁a ▁red ▁apple . ▁An cient ▁pre - Mus lim ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁K um uk ▁[ today ▁K um uk h ] ▁inhabitants , ▁as ▁fixed ▁in ▁Kh ud uk ▁ins cription ▁— ▁Bud ul ay , ▁Ah su war , ▁Ch up an ▁and ▁others ▁— ▁are ▁of ▁Turk ic ▁origin . ▁On ▁the ▁gra ves ▁of ▁the ▁Sh am kh als ▁in ▁K um uk h ▁there ▁are ▁Turk ic ▁ins cri ptions , ▁as ▁noted ▁by ▁professor ▁of ▁C au cas ian ▁studies ▁L . ▁Lav rov . ▁The ▁grave ▁itself ▁was ▁called ▁by ▁the ▁loc als ▁" Sem erd al ian " ▁after ▁the ▁Kh azar ▁city ▁of ▁Sem ender ; ▁the ▁grav est ones ▁there ▁are ▁pattern ed ▁in ▁a ▁K ip ch ak ▁style . ▁In ▁the ▁" M aza ▁chron icle " ▁Sh am kh als ▁are ▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Khan - H ak han ▁gener ations ". ▁N iz am ▁ad - D in ▁Sh ami ▁Y ez di ▁in ▁his ▁XIV ▁century ▁Tim ur id ▁chron icle ▁The ▁Book ▁of ▁Tri umph ▁and ▁Sh ere f ▁ad - din ▁Y ez