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The current president of Turkmenistan gave Russian President Putin a Turkmen Alabai as his birthday gift.

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There's a picture of Akhal-Teke in the middle of the national emblem.

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Alabai is a respected working shepherd dog breed in its native Turkmenistan, where it is highly valued for its purity and personality traits, as well as its superb resilience and guarding abilities. This is an even-tempered, intelligent and loyal dog, protective of its owner, but not at all vicious or overly aggressive towards strangers. Most common colors are black/white; fawn of different shades, from almost white to deep red; brindle. Some have a black mask. The president of Turkmenistan now uses the Alabai as diplomatic presents.

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An Akhal-Teke horse is being sent as a gift to the president of Uzbekistan.

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Every year, the national horse-racing festival is being held in the horse-racing stadium in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Normally all horses competing here are Akhal-Teke horses.

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Akhal-Teke is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem. They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, and a distinctive metallic sheen. The shiny coat of body led to their nickname "Golden Horses". These horses are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. Tribal people in what today is Turkmenistan first used the Akhal-Teke for raiding. The horses were their most treasured possession since they were crucial for income and survival. They selectively bred their horses, keeping records of the pedigrees via an oral tradition. Horses were managed and trained in very specific ways. In the Chinese history, the horse was called 汗血寶馬. The horse runs so well and far, so that its blood vessels always pop out after every run, and 汗血 means this feature. 寶馬, means it's a precious horse. We can see a picture of the horse in the national emblem of Turkmenistan since the horse is a precious from God. The government of Turkmenistan now uses the horses as diplomatic presents as well as auctioning a few to raise money for improved horse breeding programs.

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Presidential Elections

In February, Berdymukhamedov was re-elected to a third term with 97.7 percent of the vote in an election that lacked meaningful political competition. The election assessment mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) noted that it "took place in a strictly controlled political environment" that lacked pluralism and media independence.

In October, Berdymukhamedov announced the revival of the People's Council, in theory the state's highest representative body, headed by the president. Composed of a wide variety of elected and unelected officials, it can change and pass constitutional laws and issue decrees, further eviscerating separation of powers in Turkmenistan.

Freedom of Media and Information

The government keeps a tight grip on all print and electronic media in Turkmenistan. Activists and correspondents who provide information to foreign outlets face government retaliation. Authorities withdrew press accreditation and visas for several foreign reporters who planned to cover the AIMAG, claiming lack of capacity to accommodate them.

Saparmamed Nepeskuliev-a freelance contributor for Alternative News of Turkmenistan (ANT), a Europe-based news website and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)-convicted on bogus charges in 2015, continued to serve a three-year sentence.

In four separate incidents during July, and again in November, unidentified men severely harassed Soltan Achilova, an RFE/RL reporter, including with death threats.

In December 2016, authorities in Dashoguz province beat and arrested Khudayberdy Allashov, an RFE/RL Turkmen-language service correspondent, and his mother on charges of possessing chewing tobacco. Allashov had reported on such topics as wage delays and food shortages. Both were released in February after a court convicted them and issued a three-year suspended prison sentence.

In November 2016, authorities threatened to enforce a suspended sentence against another RFE/RL contributor, Rovshen Yazmuhamedov, if he did not stop working with the outlet.

Internet access in Turkmenistan remains limited and heavily state-controlled.

Civil Society

Independent groups that carry out human rights work can operate openly only in exile. Legal regulations impose serious challenges for organizations to register. Unregistered work by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is illegal.

In March, Yazdursun Gurbannazarov was elected Turkmenistan's first ombudsperson, following the 2016 ombudsmen law's entry into force. It is unclear whether authorities will allow this new institution independence and impartiality.

Anyone who exposes or questions government policies faces constant threat of reprisal. The Turkmen government ignored calls by several international actors to free Gaspar Matalaev, an ANT activist, imprisoned in October 2016 on false fraud charges in retaliation for his work monitoring state-sponsored forced labor in the cotton harvest.

In October 2016, Galina Vertryakova was convicted on bogus extortion charges after she criticized, on Russian social media, government policies, and was freed through amnesty in December 2016. In October, police accused Vertyakova of spreading secret state information.

In September, on the eve of the AIMAG, police threatened Galina Kucherenko, an animal rights activist, with 25 years' imprisonment for her posts on Russian-language social media. For several weeks in September, October and November, her internet was inexplicably cut off and she has been under constant surveillance. In November, unidentified officials came to her home and threatened to have her imprisoned.

In August, unknown people verbally assaulted Natalia Shabunts, one of the few openly active human rights defenders inside Turkmenistan. They publicly shouted racial slurs at Shabunts, and demanded that she go to Russia.

Freedom of Movement

The government arbitrarily bans from foreign travel people it considers disloyal, including the families of dissidents and prisoners. The Ruzimatov family, relatives of an exiled former official, remained banned from traveling abroad.

Housing and Property Rights

Authorities in Ashgabat failed to provide adequate compensation or redress to residents whose homes were expropriated and demolished for large-scale renewal and beautification projects in the five years before the AIMAG. Authorities denied justice to, harassed, and intimidated some residents who sought fair compensation.

In May and August, officials in Ashgabat ordered residents of several neighborhoods to remove air conditioners in multi-story apartment buildings to improve the city's appearance before the AIMAG. In many cases, authorities forcibly removed them, damaging property and leaving residents without air conditioning despite heat often exceeding 40 degrees Centigrade (104 degrees Farenheit).

Freedom of Religion

The government forbids unregistered religious groups and congregations and severely punishes religious activity not approved by authorities. The state strictly censors religious literature. Turkmenistan does not allow conscientious objection to military service.

According to Forum 18, an independent religious freedom group, only two religious communities are known to have successfully re-registered under a March 2016 religious law.

In June, TIHR reported that a court sentenced to lengthy prison terms 12 military officers accused of spreading non-traditional Islam.

In January, ANT reported the deaths in 2016 of Lukman Yaylanov and Narkuly Baltayev. In July, ANT reported the death in June of Aziz Gafurov. Yavlanov and Baltayev were sentenced in 2013, and Gafurov in 2015, for involvement in an informal Sunni study group. All three were inmates at Ovadan-Tepe, known for torture and long-term incommunicado detention. Authorities forced the deceased's families to sign a nondisclosure agreement about the bodies of the deceased.

ANT also reported that in December 2016, 52-year-old Yoldash Khojamuradov committed suicide at home after police accused him of being a Wahhabi (the term used by the government to designate people as extremists) and interrogated him for several weeks, pressuring him to name other Wahhabis.

Political Prisoners, Enforced Disappearances, and Torture

Torture and ill-treatment are widespread and continue with impunity. It is impossible to determine the exact number of people jailed on politically motivated grounds due to the complete lack of transparency in the justice system, closed trials, and severe repression that precludes independent monitoring of these cases.

Political dissident Gulgeldy Annaniyazov, arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 11 years on charges that were not made public, remained imprisoned. Turkmen authorities have said he is being held in a penal colony in Tejen, however this has not been independently confirmed.

In October 2016, Turkmen authorities accused an estimated 100 men of having links to the Gülen movement and its leader, Fethullah Gulen, accused by the Turkish government of organizing the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. In February, 18 were sentenced in closed trials to up to 25 years in prison on various charges, including incitement to hatred and involvement in a criminal organization. In July, authorities sentenced another 40 men from Lebap province to lengthy prison terms, reportedly on similar charges. The authorities' isolation of these men and intimidation of their families made it impossible to independently confirm some aspects of these reports, including that the men were tortured in custody.

Dozens of people arrested in the late 1990s and early 2000s remain forcibly disappeared in Turkmen prisons. Following their arrest, the government denied their families access to them and information on their whereabouts. In 2017, the fate and whereabouts of these men remained unknown, except in the cases of three who died and whose bodies authorities returned to families, confirmed by Prove They Are Alive, an international campaign against enforced disappearances in Turkmenistan. Among them is Tirkish Tyrmyev, former head of the State Border Service, sentenced to 10 years on abuse of office charges.

In 2012, just before his scheduled release, authorities arbitrarily extended his sentence by nearly eight years for supposedly violating prison rules. Prove they Are Alive reported new enforced disappearances, especially among people convicted on religious extremism charges.

Authorities continued to ignore the United Nations Human Rights Committee's decision to release Boris Shikhmuradov, the former foreign minister and a victim of an enforced disappearance as determined by the committee.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under Turkmen law, punishable by a maximum two-year prison sentence.

Key International Actors

Turkmenistan's international partners spoke out more than in previous years about human rights abuses. An exception was UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who met President Berdymukhamedov in June but who only mentioned "commitments to respect human rights" in the context of countering terrorism.

Another exception was the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), owner and operator of the AIMAG. Despite its commitment within its own constituent charter to uphold the principles of human dignity and press freedoms in host countries, the OCA was silent on Turkmenistan's abuses. When asked at a press conference in Ashgabat about Turkmenistan's violation of media freedoms, a top OCA official said, "We have instructed the organising committee not to cooperate with media that is unwilling to ... report positively about sport. Our attention is directed at the development of sport and positive, real media".

In February, the European Union highlighted several shortcomings in Turkmenistan's presidential elections and called on the Turkmen authorities to address them.

During its annual human rights dialogue with Turkmenistan, the EU raised concerns about torture and conditions in detention and suppression of fundamental freedoms.

Several international actors spoke against press freedom violations. In a December 2016 media interview, Nisha Desai Biswal, then-US assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs deplored the government's treatment of RFE/RL journalists. A March EU statement called "on Turkmenistan to immediately release Saparmamed Nepeskuliev."

In its annual human rights report on Turkmenistan, the US Department of State flagged general human rights concerns, and for the first time reported the status of Shikhmuradov and others on the Prove They Are Alive list under the section on disappearances.

During a January meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, Switzerland-acting also on behalf of Iceland and Canada-called on Turkmenistan to investigate Tirkish Tyrmyev's death and raised concern about enforced disappearances.

In their respective concluding observations, the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee Against Torture urged the government to investigate enforced disappearances. The former also urged the government to, among other things, end informal travel bans, allow "a truly independent media," "decriminalize sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex," and provide effective remedies to people affected by forced evictions.

13 UN experts have requested, but not received, access to the country.

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World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Turkmenistan

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Turkmenistan remains one of the world's most closed and oppressively governed countries. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his associates control all aspects of public life. Elections extended Berdymukhamedov's presidential term for another seven years. The government effectively bans all forms of religious and political expression not approved by authorities, tightly

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Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

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Amnesty marks the 23rd anniversary of the country's independence from the Soviet Union. Six prisoners had been convicted for conscientious objection; two for exercising their right to freedom of religion and worship.

Ashgabat (AsiaNews/F18) - The government of Turkmenistan released eight political prisoners on 22 October, most of them conscientious objectors, the Norway-based Forum 18 reported today.

All the prisoners were held in a forced labour camp in the eastern part of the country. Six had objected to compulsory military service on grounds of conscience and two had been imprisoned on fabricated charges to punish them for exercising their freedom of religion or belief.

President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov granted the amnesty on 21 October to mark the 23rd anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence from the Soviet Union, which is celebrated on 26-27 October.

In addition to granting the release, the presidential decree frees the prisoners from further punishment.

Ruslan Narkuliev, a recently imprisoned conscientious objector, is not among the beneficiaries of the amnesty. A 21 year-old Jehovah's Witness, Narkuliev was sentenced to two years in prison on 30 September for avoiding military service.

The Turkmen constitution defines military service as a "sacred duty" and does not offer any alternative service. Military service for men between the ages of 18 and 27 is generally two years.

Turkmenistan has a population of 4.4 million; almost 90 per cent of Muslim, mostly Sunnis, but with some Shias.

Christians, once numerous, represent about 9 per cent, mostly Orthodox, of the total population.

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TURKMENISTAN Turkmenistan to free conscientious objectors

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Amnesty marks the 23rd anniversary of the country's independence from the Soviet Union. Six prisoners had been convicted for conscientious objection; two for exercising their right to freedom of religion and worship. Ashgabat (AsiaNews/F18) - The government of Turkmenistan released eight political prisoners on 22 October, most of them conscientious objectors, the Norway-based Forum 18 reported today.

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There's a big copy of Ruhnama in the capital city of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat.

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Sufi, is mysticism in Islam. The followers of the Sufism are called "Sufi practitioners". They think that through meditation and mentoring, they connect to Allah, and they turned the awe into the selfless love of Allah. A striking feature of the classic Sufi practitioners is their obsession with the chanting (a repetitive reading of the ninety-nine names of God, often after prayer) and asceticism.

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Imad Al-Din Nesimi, an Azerbaijani poet. Very little is known for certain about his life, including his real name. Nemisi is one of the most influential advocates of the Ḥurūfī doctrine, was a Shia Islamic doctrine based on the mysticism of letters and the movement's ideas were spread to a large extent through his poetry.

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Written by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani at the start of the 14th century, how extensive the work is caused it to be called "the first world history".The work describes cultures and major events in world history from China to Europe; in addition, it covers Mongol history, as a way of establishing their cultural legacy.

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Epic, long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds. In literary usage, the term includes both oral and written compositions. The prime examples of the oral epic are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

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The Ghazal  is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal commonly consists of between five and fifteen couplets, which are independent. In style and content, due to its highly allusive nature, the ghazal has proved capable of an extraordinary variety of expression around its central themes of love and separation.

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The Ruhy Mosque, the biggest mosque in Turkmenistan. The mosque was built by the crazy dictator.

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Bahtiyar Devridir Nevruz Bayramı - Türkmenistan'dan Müzik Videosu - TRT Avaz

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Magtymguly Pyragy, he promoted the idea of keeping the Turkmen-way sacred, as well as maintaining the unity and integrity of the Turkmen nation. Magtymguly also criticized rulers and many religious figures for their exploitation of the poor and their mockery of justice in such stanzas as: “Khans of Gokleng have been spoiled/ They think we do not deserve any comfort/ They took away all our belongings/ We could not do anything but watch them,” and “Rulers dispense no justice anymore/ Muftis issue justice for a farthing.” Magtymguly was one of the first Turkmen poets to introduce the use of the classical Chagatai, the court language of the Khans of Central Asia, as a literary language, incorporating many Turkmen linguistic features. As such, his poetry exemplifies a trend towards increased usage of Turkic languages, and Magtymguly is revered as the founder of Turkmen poetry, literature, and language.

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As a result, 32 percents of members in the parliament of Turkmenistan are Russians.

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The world's biggest carpet is in the carpet museum, Turkmenistan. The biggest carpet in the world is a Turkmen rug.

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The background of my padlet is the scenery of the capital city of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat.

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Turkmen president singing 2015 [Guinness record song]

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The current president of Turkmenistan write songs during his spare time, his songs are the most popular song  among Turkmenistan!

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Latin alphabet for Turkmen.

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Cyrillic script for Turkmen

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Arabic alphabet for Turkmen.

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The Dili Tuiduk is a traditional Turkmen woodwind instrument. It's a single-reed instrument used mainly in Turkmen folk music. There are two kinds of Dili Tuiduk, one the reed side is open the other is closed.The dilli Tuiduk makes a penetrating sound and is used to play the tunes of Turkmen folk songs.

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Epos "Kelinoy" (fragment) - Abdunazar Poyonov (People's bakhshi of Uzbekistan)

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Veli Mukhatov, one of the greatest Turkmen composer of the Communist Party in the 20th century. His famous works are "Cantata on the Communist Party", "Song About Lenin", and "National Anthem of the Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan", which is the current national anthem of Turkmenistan. His songs about communist earned him the Stalin Prize twice, Order of Lenin twice, and was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the USSR".

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Protestants account for less than 1% of the population of Turkmenistan. There are also very few Catholics in the country - around 95 in total. Armenians living in Turkmenistan (below 1%) mostly adhere Armenian Apostolic Church.

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Turkmenistan is the native land of silk homespun fabric called "Keteni". Turkmen has been successfully practicing sericulture for many centuries: their homespun fabrics owing to their durability and brightness as was beauty of patterns were really appreciated and demanded. The determining feature of “Keteni" is color, which depends on the quality of dyes. In accordance with ancient technologies the fabrics were dyed only by vegetable colors which were distinguished by the brightness of shades, durability and ecological purity. Turkmenistan carpets major color was red which according to national beliefs possesses magic properties, protects from malicious forces; besides, people have always identified red color with everything that is beautiful and cheerful. Red color was especially popular with girls and children. One of the sources of red paint for Turkmen carpet was a plant called madder which grew in abundance on salted lands where other plants could not survive. To receive the tints of dark blue and blue colors Turkmen used indigo. Other dyes were dried pomegranate and onion peels as well as tea. The clothes made from "Keteni" have been worn both by men and women. But if men's fashion was limited mainly to shirts, women collected a whole wardrobe of dresses and scarves. Dresses made from "Keteni" still remain a traditional bride's outfit.

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A Turkmen rug is a type of handmade floor-cover traditionally originating in Turkmenistan.They are used for various purposes, including tent rugs, door hangings and bags of various sizes. Centuries age, all of the Turkmen rugs were produced by nomadic tribes almost entirely with locally obtained materials, wool from the herds and vegetable dyes, or other natural dyes from the land. There were five tribes in Turkmenistan, a tribe is just like a prevince. The five tribes were Yomut, Ersari, Sarvk, Salor, and Tekke, every tribe has their own rug design. At the end of the 20th century, carpet weaving in Turkmenistan had become one of the most important sectors of the economy. In 1992, Turkmen Carpet Day officially became a national holiday, celebrated annually on the last Sunday in May. The vertical strip of the Flag of Turkmenistan placed five patterns of the five tribes. Patterns reflect national unity of Turkmenistan.

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The bride's outfit consisted of various amulets designed to protect her from evil forces, helped her to stay healthy and wealthy. The bride's outfit consisted of various amulets designed to protect her from evil forces, helped her to stay healthy and wealthy. For example, even the wedding dress itself, which was made of traditional red fabric could arouse envy, attract an "evil eye"; therefore, it was supposed to protect the bride by all possible means. To escape alien eyes the bride wore a cape covering her head along with amulets and charms which were believed to possess guarding forces. All kinds of wedding clothes had a thread from a camel's wool, a pig's tooth, silver plates, beads with "eyes" fastened to them; the cape was furnished with a sawn-on triangular pouch with coal and salt inside.

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It is considered as acceptable not to help, argue, look at the seniors frowningly or to show discontent, to wait for their gratitude for the rendered service or to remind of it. As a Turkmen saying goes: "Gold and silver do not grow old, the father and mother are priceless". The father as the family head has the right to evaluate his children's behavior and is obliged to protect them. Children should worship their mothers and respect them. The slightest display of disrespect or inattention to parents are not only denounced by people but also should be stopped on the spot.

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Turkmen are highly moral people. In the attitude toward life they cultivate hospitality, honoring of seniors, modesty, and nobleness.They say "Only a noble person can keep his word". Turkmen highly value the idea of honor. They love to repeat: "My honor is the honor of my family, my nation, my people". Turkmen possess a strongly developed spirit of kinship. Turkmens have always appreciated sincerity. "Tell the truth even if it is against thee". Turkmen society has always negatively treated malignant gossip, saying that “the one who gossips with thee, can gossip about thee too". Turkmen value friendship and love, maintain friendly relations with neighbors. As the Turkmen sayings go: "First of all take care of your neighbor", "A neighbor next door is better than a brother far way".

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Turkmens often judge a person by the way he treats his guests. A guest is greeted by phrase "Khosh geldiniz!" and besides that such ritual phrases as: How happy we are to see you! What an honor you have rendered to us!" are a must. The cloth with food on it is considered sacred and it is a sin to step on them. Before eating everyone according to tradition should praise the Lord. They say in the Orient: "Every guest is sent by the Allah!”. It means that hospitality is not only the host's duty but also his sanctity. Turkmen have always considered bread and salt sacred. Stepping on them was a sign of misfortune.

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The ritual was solemn, cheerful, noisy symbolical scramble between women and girls for the bride. The bride's friends stood in a circle around her trying to you defend her; this playful fight was inevitably won by women in the bride had to join their lot. Then a bridle made from weaved color laces, Aladzhas are flung over bride's wedding cape. The groom pulls the bridle thrice as if trying to remove the maiden. After that, the bride's head will  be covered with a big white kerchief presented by a respectable woman having many children and the Talhya is passed to the youngest sister of the groom. The idea of this ancient ceremony use that according old beliefs the grace of the former Talhya owner should pass to another girl so she in turn get happily married- in fact, the main mission of a woman is to be a wife, mother, continuer of family.

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Turkmens have always had a special attitude towards hats. They took care of them, looked after them and guarded them by covering them with a shawl. To prevent theretention of fur and a hat's deformation, hats were put on a special block made of mulberry tree. The hatmaker Orazdurdy Bekniyazov told Ajap Bairev, a Turkmen ethnographer: "If you have the head, you should wear a hat", jokes Orazdurdy and adds, "A hat is worn not for keeping head warm, but for the honor. A Turkmen never leaves a hat. If you have no one to speak to, talk to a hat". Headwear is one of the most interesting elements of the Turkmen national costume. Women wear a variety of headgear. Many tie their hair back and wear a headscarf tied on the back of the head. Some wear a little round hat with a dome ending at a metal point. Men's Telpeks are worn year round over a skullcap, even on scorching hot days. Black ones are worn everyday and white ones are usually only worn on special occasions. Men also wear deftly wound turbans.

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Turkmen women still wear the traditional long satiny Turkmen dress. Turkmen women have traditionally worn loose, heavy, brilliantly-colored, ankle-length silk or velvet caftans with baggy trousers underneath with contrasting colors and decorated bands. The caftan has a stand up collar and a center opening covered by a decorated braid or embroidery. The sleeves are full and gathered at the wrists. Popular colors include red and maroon. Caftans for special events are elaborate and decorated, sometimes they wear with a knee-length coat studded with metal discs. Turkmen women wear different depending on their age. For girls, clothing has traditionally been considered part of their education, teaching them about family values and motherhood. A teenage girl wears a traditional dressing gown made from dark fabric richly embroidered with bright spring flowers that convey beauty, health and fertility.

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A traditional Turkmen skullcap is called a Takhya. It not only a headwear but a symbol of Turkmen identity and tradition. In the old days, Turkmens believed that Takhyas could protect the owner from troubles, jinxes, illnesses, bad luck and the evil eye. According to the custom, a Talhya can't be given or thrown even if it's old. Beyond the magical efficacy, a Talhya protects its owner's head from the scorching sun. Talhyas can be round, oval, low and high. Talhyas made from linen fabric have traditionally been put on a boy's or a girl's head few days after birth. Men wore their Talhyas on shaved heads. Girls and young brides wear soft, embroidered Talhyas with colored silk threads and silver decorations. These Talhyas emphasize the beauty of a girl, the embroidered flowers on them symbolize beauty and virginity. Not wearing Talhyas is regarded as a loss of chastity.

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Turkmens pay attention on the quality and practicality of headwear as Turkmens had to cover long distances in the desert and steppes when they change their camps. Thus, Telpet was introduced, which at first sight looks heavy, but is in fact quite light and block the sun in the summer and provides protection from the cold in winter. Ajap Bairiev, a Turkmen ethnographer had said: “It plays a great role, considerably increasing the level of prestige of the clothes and serves as a measure of beauty of the men's gaunt frame. A fur hat, a headwear of Turkmen men, is an embodiment of strength and courage. It is light and stylish." In fact, Telpek personifies pride and nobility. It helps develop good looking bearing and non-hasty grace of movements. Turkmens are very proud of their headwear and treat them with care.

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Melon Day is an annual national holiday devoted to festivities to celebrate the country's melons, in particular a recent crossbreed breed named "Turkmenbashi melon", which is praised for its aroma, taste and large size. It takes place on the second Sunday in August.This holiday was established by Turkmenistan’s then-president Saparmurat Niyazov in 1994, who preferred to be known as Turkmenbashi. In his address to farmers in 2004, President Niyazov said: "Almighty God has turned Turkmen soil into a fertile source of an abundance of the tastiest fruits. Among them are Turkmen melons, which are the result of farmers' hard work and which have a unique taste reminiscent of the fruit of paradise."

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Usually held in August, this Islamic feast celebrates the end of the 30-day dawn to dusk fasting period of Ramadan. You will see families celebrating their faith and the end of this important period for Muslims with traditional meals. In 610 AD, the prophet suddenly received the revelation of Allah in his meditation on the silent prayer, and ordered him to pass on the teachings of God in the capacity of "the messenger." Later, the Prophet Muhammad set this month as the fasting month to commemorate. At the same time, the jurists explained that "fasting is to let the rich taste the hunger and thirst so that they do not want to be extravagant and profligate; to save money and save money to help the poor."

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Turkmenistan seems like a democratic country, but the government is still overwhelming. The people have no right and freedom of everything includes giving a speech. The authority of Turkmenistan still put people in jail just for criticizing the government.

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The current president of Turkmenistan,
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who had tried to recover the culture of Turkmenistan in these years.

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Painting of the battle of Valiyan in 1221. Mongolians won the battle and finally conquer Khwarazmia.

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The port of Turkmenbashi in 1998. The port of Turkmenbashi is one of the largest port on the coast of Caspian Sea. The port was built by the Russians and was used to cross the Caspian Sea to Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

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The city of Turkmenbashi was named after Saparmurat Niyazov, the former president and the crazy dictator of Turkmenistan. He changed the city's name from Krasnovodsk to Turkmenbashi, which is what he called himself in 1993. (Turkmenbashi means the leader of Turkmens in the Turkmen language) Turkmenbashi is the center of oil refining industry in Turkmenistan. Oil refining industry is one of the most important industry of Turkmenistan since the Caspian Sea contains a lot of oil. Every year, Turkmenistan sells tons of oil to Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. The port of Turkmenbashi is one of the largest international port on the coast of Caspian sea.

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The Transcaspian Region. The region included Turkmenistan and west Kazakhstan in current.

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Turkmenistan is bordered between Iran and Afghanistan to the south, Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, and Uzbekistan to the east. "Turkmenistan" means "land of the Turkmens" in the Turkmen language.

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The Transcaspian Railway was built to connect with Saint Petersburg and Moscow. The railway bought a massive number of Russians. Since then, Russians had became the second-biggest ethnic in Turkmenistan.

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The two blue stripes represent the rivers, Amu Darya and Syr Darya. The red represents the "revolutionary struggle of the working masses", the hammer and sickle represents the peasants' and workers' union, and the red star is the symbol of the communist party.

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The former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev on visit to Turkmenistan SSR in 1962. In the period of his terms as the leader of the Soviet Union, the Qaraqum Canal was built. The canal had deeply influenced the agriculture industry of Turkmenistan.

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October 27th, 1991, the Republic of Turkmenistan declared independence from the Soviet Union.

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Held on May 19 and 20, this spring festival celebrates the life and times of a national hero. Magtymguly Pyragy was a Turkmen spiritual leader and philosophical poet who was active in the 18th century. He is revered by all Turkmens to this day since he fought passionately to unify the people, a legacy which lives on today.

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Nowruz is the name of Iranian New Year's Day, also known as the Persian new year. Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the first day of the first month of the Iranian calendar. It usually occurs on March 21 or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed. Nowruz Bayram l was originally a festival of Zoroastrianism. Widely celebrated by ethics that deeply influenced by Zoroastrian cultures, such as Azerbaijanis and Turkmens. According to the centuries-old tradition, a picturesque place in the open air, where the spring expanse best suits the spirit and scale of the long-awaited event, is chosen for the large-scale celebration. They set up a Turkmen village from the oriental tale, hospitable and welcoming, open to friends and neighbors. The main dish of Nowruz is called Semeni, dainties made from germinated wheat.The festival is accompanied by ancient melodies and songs performed by Bakhshi (As I just mentioned, the traditional storyteller). At some distance, Palvans (Strongmen) wrestle and cheerful national games go on. In Taiwan, we purchase new items in the new year since we believe a new year a new beginning. Turkmens believe, too. A big bazaar was set in the celebration. The bazaar offers the entire range of handicrafts, including carpets, silks, Telpaks, and Talhyas. Nowruz is the biggest event in Turkmenistan and takes 2 days.

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Russians had rule the land of Turkmenistan for nearly 200 years, they made influential impact on the Turkmen culture including the language. Almost all of the Turkmen can speak, write, and read Russian well especially the older generations of Turkmenistan since they were all educated in Russian and brainwashed brainwashed with communism