IB MYB/ Kaleidoscope Cultual Museum Project: Turkmenistan by Lex Lee

Rationale:

lextlee — 2018-12-13 05:40:05 UTC

In the "Kaleidoscope Cultural Museum Project", I aimed the unique and endangered culture of Turkmenistan under the history of being invaded by Mongolians, Arabs, Russians, Persians, and Uzbeks. The culture of Turkmenistan is a combination of every intruder that entered Turkmenistan. Imperialism refers to maintain an unequal relationship between two civilizations, favoring a more powerful civilization. Turkmenistan experienced cultural imperialism by Soviet Russia since Russians brainwashed Turkmens with Russian language, culture and Communism. The colorful culture of Turkmenistan is disappearing, although the authority tried to recover it, lots of it is gone forever. Through this project, I would like to introduce the remaining part of it to everyone, stop it from vanishing.

Ruhnama

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is a book written by Saparmurat Niyazov, the President of Turkmenistan from 1990 to 2006, combining spiritual guidance, moral guidance, and autobiography. Ruhnama was intended as the "spiritual guidance of the nation" and the basis of the nation's arts and literature. It was mandatory to read Ruhnama in schools, universities and governmental organizations. New governmental employees were tested on the book at job interviews. In March 2006, said that he had contacted with God to ensure that any student who read the book three times would automatically get into heaven. However, the current president of Turkmenistan, president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow removed it from the public school curriculum and stopped the practice of testing university applicants on their knowledge of the book.

Literature

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Religion

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17th Century- 'Andalib

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ʿAndalib, one of the greatest writer in the Turkmen history is the symbol of Turkmen literature during the 17th century. ʿAndalib wrote poetic imitations of Chagatai Ghazals. He also wrote three narrative poems that use a Turkmen epic form, the destan: Yusup-Zuleikha, based on a traditional Islamic theme; Oghuzname, which describes the legendary history of the Turkmen and it was base on the JamiAl-Tawarikh ; and Nesimi, based on the life and writings of the medieval Turkish mystical poet Imad Al-Din Nesimi. Though written in Chagatai rather than Turkmen, these writings display an unprecedented awareness of Turkmen cultural heritage. The influence of classical Azerbaijani poetic forms is also present throughout 'Andalib’s verses.

18th Century- Makhtumquli

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Makhtumquli, one of the greatest writer in the Turkmen history is the symbol of Turkmen literature during the 18th century. Makhtumquli is thought to have written about 800 poems, although many may be apocryphal. The majority of them are Goshgi (folk songs), a syllabic verse form typically divided into quatrains. Others are highly personal ghazals that incorporate Sufi elements. In the 19th century, Makhtumquli’s verses circulated throughout Central Asia orally rather than in the written form in which he composed them; this mode of transmission enabled them to gain wide popularity among many ethnic groups, including Kurds, Tajiks, and Karakalpaks.

19th + 20th Century

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After the Russian's invasion in the late 19th century, traditional writing by Turkmen continued. After Turkmenistan’s independence, Makhtumquli’s writings remained highly popular. Berdi Kerbabayev was among the most popular Turkmen writers of the 20th century; he became best known for his novel Aygitli adim (1940 “The Decisive Step”).

Music

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History

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Russian Empire

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In the 18th century, Turkmen tribes came into contact with the Russian Empire. In 1873, the Russian Empire decides to suppress the Khivan Khan and Bukharan Khan, current Uzbekistan and move into the Transcaspian region, which is eastern side of the Caspian Sea, allegedly to subdue Turkmen slave trade and banditry. Despite of all these the Russian efforts, the Turkmen area remains independent. Meanwhile, the Turkmen tribes are playing a contradictory role, helping two contrasting countries at the same time. While helping the Khivan Khan, the Turkmens also encouraged the Russians to invade Khivan Khan by taking over Khorazm, the northern part of Khivan Khan. The Battle of Geok Tepe between Khivan Khan and Russia is the culminated part of the wars, 15000 Turkmens were massacred. By 1894, Russia had taken control of almost all of Turkmenistan and became a part of the Russian-Caucasus territory. Russian built the Transcaspian Railway to connect with Europe. A massive number of Slavs were moved into Turkmenistan after the railway was built and formed mainly Russian-populated cities like Ashgabat, the current capital city of Turkmenistan.

Arab Invasion + Islamization

lextlee — 2018-12-29 04:14:59 UTC

In the 8th century, the Arabs invaded Turkmenistan and became a part of the Abbasid Caliphate, the Arabic Empire. The Arabs brought the Islamic religion, literature, and traditions. The Islamic culture had influenced Turkmenistan deeply even now

Mongolian Invasion

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In 1221, the Khivans, which is the Uzbeks took control of central Asia and build the Khwarazmian dynasty after the Seljuks end their province. Soon, central Asia suffered a disastrous invasion by Mongolians and became a part of the Chagatai Khanate. This is golden period of Turkmen literature, but most of the works were written in Chagtai, not Turkmen.

Soviet

lextlee — 2018-12-29 06:06:18 UTC

After the October Revolution in Russia, Soviet soon approached Tashkent and hoist the Red Banner in Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan became a base of the counterrevolutionaries, but soon after Turkmenistan was also taken over by the Soviet. On October 27th, 1924, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was established and became one of the republics of the Soviet Union. Russians helped build some of the most important Infrastructures of Turkmenistan which included the Qaraqum Canal, one of the most significant constructions for the main agricultural industry of the Turkmenistan's cotton industry. Turkmenistan was surprising peaceful during this period

Independence

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October 27th, 1991, the Republic of Turkmenistan was introduced. Saparmurat Niyazov, the former head of the Turkmen communist was became the president in an uncontested election. Niyazova was accused of developing a totalitarian cult of personality. His opus, the Ruhnama, was made a mandatory of every Turmen. Opposition parties are banned in the government controls everything. Even more, he rewrite the Turkmenistan's constitution and allow him to serve as president for life. The "Turkmenbasi", which means the leader of all Turkmens died in 2006. The new president,

Saparmurat Niyazov began to reduce the personality cult surrounding Niyazov, establish the new constitution and restore everything that were destroyed by the former president. The former president the main proponent of Turkmenistan's neutrality, this in make Turkmenistan an isolation from world politics. The new president started to give action to make Turkmenistan connected with the world.

Oghuz Tribes

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The origins of the Turkmen may be traced to the Oghuz confederation of nomadic pastoral tribes of the early middle age, which live in the current southeastern Siberia, which is the shore of Lake Baikal and Mongolia this confederation was composed of Turkicspeaking peoples. In the late 8th century, the Oghuz confederation moved through the Dzungaria, the current northern part of Xinjiang into Khorezm, current Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.The name "Turkmen" stated in the beginning of the 11th century, means those Oghuz people who accept the refuge of the Islamic religion.

Traditions

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Festivals

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Arts

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Language

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Fashion

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National Anthem

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The "State Anthem of Turkmenistan", also known as the "National Anthem of the Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan". The song was adopted as the national anthem of Turkmenistan in 1996. The music was composed by the Turkmen composer Veli Mukhatov. The lyrics were originally written by the former president of Turkmenistan, the crazy dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov. The national anthem is play at the start of radio and television broadcasts at 6:55 a.m. local time and played again when radio and television stations sign off. Two years after Veli Mukhatov's death, the reference to Turkmenbashi in the chorus was replaced with "the people" since the period the crazy dictator rules is a nightmare to every Turkmen.

Dutar

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The dutar is a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute found in Iran and Central Asia. The name "Dutar" comes from the Persian Word "two strings". When played, the strings are usually plucked except for the Kazakhs. Dutar origins in the 15th century as a shepherd's instrument. Its strings were made from gut. The opening of the Silk Road had replaced catgut into twisted silk imported from China. The current strings of Dutar are mostly made from nylon.

Bakshi

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:40:39 UTC

The Bakshi are the traditional Turkmen musicians. Historically, they act as healers and spiritual figures and also provide music for the wedding, birthday, and other important events. They usually sing with the traditional Central Asian music instrument, Dutar. During the period when the population of Central Asia was generally illiterate, Bakshi was the guardian of folk music and folklore. Because of them, lots of traditions, stories, and literature can be passed down. The second Sunday of September is the Bakshi Day in Turkmenistan.

Animism

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:41:05 UTC

The Turkmens are Sunni Muslims but they, like most of the region's nomads, adhere to Islam rather loosely and combine Islam with pre-Islamic animist spirituality. The Turkmens do indeed tend to be spiritual but are by no means militantly religious.

Islam

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:41:15 UTC

The first Muslims on the territory of modern Turkmenistan appeared during the Arab invasion in the 6th century. During the Soviet period, only four mosques operated in the Turkmen SSR, currently, there are 398 mosques in Turkmenistan. At the same time, the authorities of the Turkmen SSR prevented the spread of Islam. The development of Islam in the country, the preparation and appointment of priests, and the construction of mosques are under state control. All imams receive a salary from the state. After Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991, Saparmurad Niyazov, the former president used Islam to build a new national idea. In 1993, he stated that Turkmenistan returns to Islam as part of a national culture, and not as a religion with dogmatic tenets. In order to control the activities of religious organizations in 1994, the Council for religious affairs was created, which is completely subordinate to the president. In 2000, under the banner of the struggle against extremism, the authorities began a campaign against dissidents. About 40 thousand copies of the Korans translated into Turkmen were burnt. As his power strengthened, Niyazov tried to usurp Islamic symbolism. He demanded that his work " Ruhnama " was quoted along with the Koran. Quotes from Ruhnama were cut on the walls of many mosques, and the mosque itself was obliged to keep at least 2 copies of the book. In 2006, at a festive concert dedicated to the national holiday, Novruz Niyazov said: “He who reads my work Rukhnama three times will be smart, understand nature, laws, and human values. And after that, he will go straight to heaven". Religious education is under strict control of the authorities. Since the 1990s, almost no religious literature has entered the country. In 2000, Turkmenbashi declared that all religious schools and madrasas, the Islamic school should be closed.

Turkmenbashi

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In his time, he was one of the world's most totalitarian, despotic and repressive dictators. Turkmen set him as the spiritual leader of them, and called him "Turkmenbashi", if they don't, they will got punished. He imposed his personal eccentricities upon the country, such as renaming Turkmen months and days of the week to references of his autobiography the Ruhnama. He made it mandatory to read the Ruhnama in schools, universities and governmental organizations, new governmental employees were tested on the book at job interviews and an exam on its teachings was a part of the driving test in Turkmenistan. In 2005, he closed down all rural libraries and hospitals outside of the capital city Ashgabat, in a country where at that time more than half the population lived in rural areas, as the saying goes: "If people are ill, they can come to Ashgabat." Under his rule, Turkmenistan had the lowest life expectancy in Central Asia.

Chagatai

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Chagatai is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early 20th century. The word Chagatai relates to the Chagatai Khanate, a descendant empire of the Mongol Empire left to Genghis Khan's second son, Chagatai Khan. The area of Chagatai Khanate is currently Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Chagatai remained the universal literary language of Central Asia until the Soviet reforms of the early 20th century. The classical literatures of Turkmenistan were all written in Chagatai, this make the fact that the Turkmen Literature is on the risk.

Turkmen

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:41:45 UTC

The Turkmen language is the official language of Turkmenistan. The Turkmen language was formed in the 13th century. At that time, Turkmen was written with the Arabic alphabet since Turkmenistan was ruled by the Arabs. But the Arabic alphabet does not fit Turkmen, there are sounds in Arab that do not exist in Turkmen; there are sounds in Turkmen that do not have the alphabet to represent it. After the Russian invasion, Turkmen was written in Cyrillic scripts. The kind of Turkmen-Russian language became the official language of Turkmenistan for over 200 years. After the Russians left and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan form "alphabet designing committee" in January 1993. In April 1993, the Assembly of Turkmenistan established the new alphabet list of the Turkmen language.
The Turkmen language was once on the risk after the Russians invaded Turkmenistan. Russians brought modern technologies into Turkmenistan, more and more students went to Russia to get a higher education. Students who came back from Russia, who were the top level of Turkmenistan since they were educated started to refuse using Turkmen. More and more young people refuse to speak Turkmen, this causes their children couldn't speak Turkmen either. By 1991, there were many Turkmen in the territory of Turkmen SSR who did not speak Turkmen.

Russian

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:41:53 UTC

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

Nowruz Bayram

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:42:05 UTC

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.

Magtymguty Pyragy Day

lextlee — 2019-01-02 07:53:56 UTC

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

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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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Flag of Turkmenistan SSR

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

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

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

lextlee — 2019-01-04 07:10:56 UTC

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.

Eid Al-Fitr

lextlee — 2019-01-07 05:50:45 UTC

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."

Melon Day

lextlee — 2019-01-07 05:51:42 UTC

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."

Telpeks

lextlee — 2019-01-07 05:52:25 UTC

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.

Talhya

lextlee — 2019-01-07 05:52:54 UTC

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.

Women

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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.

Headwears

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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.

Wedding Rituals

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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.

Hospitality

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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.

Morality

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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".

Respect of Senior

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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.

Wedding Traditions

lextlee — 2019-01-07 06:00:17 UTC

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.

Turkmen Rug

lextlee — 2019-01-07 06:01:31 UTC

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.

Silks

lextlee — 2019-01-07 06:02:05 UTC

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.

Christianity

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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.

Influential People

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Saparmurat Niyazov

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Veli Mukhatov

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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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Dili Tuiduk

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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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Arabic alphabet for Turkmen.

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Cyrillic script for Turkmen

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Latin alphabet for Turkmen.

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The Talented President

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

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

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

Ghazal

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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.

Epic

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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.

Jami Al-awarikh

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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.

Imad Al-Din Nesimi

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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.

Supplement

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Sufi

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

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Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

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Special Species

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Akhal-Teke

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

Turkmen Alabai

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

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

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