ceres country profile - turkmenistan

7/28/2019 CERES Country Profile - Turkmenistan

1/19

1

Country in a Box:

TurkmenistanTrkmenistan

A Teachers Guide

Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies

Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown Universityhttp://ceres.georgetown.edu

Ertugrul Gazi Mosque in Ashgabat
http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/


2/19

2

Turkmenistan in a Box: Table of Contents

Facts at a Glance 3-6

History of Turkmenistan 7-9

Timeline of Major Events in Turkmen History 10-11

Turkmen Culture 12-15

Folklore: The Koroglu Epic 16-17

Additional Resources 18-19

Tolkuchka Bazaar in Ashgabat

Martijnmunn


3/19

3


4/19

4

The flag of Turkmenistans green

color and crescent moon represent

Islam; the five stars symbolize the

regions or welayats of Turkmenistan;

and it contains five tribal guls

(designs used in producing carpets)

stacked above two crossed olive

branches. The guls reflect thenational identity of Turkmenistan

where carpet-making has long been a

part of traditional nomadic life.


5/19

5

The Manat was introduced on November 1,1993, replacing the Russian ruble. On January

1, 2009 the new Manat was introduced, which

removed deceased President Nyazov from all

but the 500 denominated bill.


6/19

6


7/19

7

The Beginning: Sedentary

Oghuz tribes from Mongolia movedinto present-day Central Asia

around the eighth century. Within

a few centuries, some of these

tribes had become the ethnic basis

of the Turkmen population. The

origins of the Turkmen may be

traced back to the Oghuz

confederation of nomadic pastoral

tribes of the early Middle Ages,

which lived in present-day

Mongolia and around Lake Baikal

in present-day southern Siberia.

Known as the Nine Oghuz, thisconfederation was composed of

Turkic-speaking peoples who

formed the basis of powerful steppe

empires in Inner Asia. A clan

leader named Seljuk founded a

dynasty and the empire that bore

his name on the basis of those

Oghuz elements that had migrated

southward into present-day

Turkmenistan and Iran. The Seljuk

Empire was centered in Persia,

from which Oghuz groups spread

into Azerbaijan and Anatolia.During this time, Turkmen also

began to settle the area of present-

day Turkmenistan. (Photo:http://www.ruhnama.info/ruhnama-

en/htm/harby-sungat.htm)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Turkmenistan.pdf


8/19


9/19

9


10/19

10
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16098048


11/19

11


12/19

12

Chorek baked in a Tamdyr (clay oven)
http://www.advantour.com/turkmenistan/cuisine.htm


13/19

13

Turkmen Pilaf


14/19

14

Bakhshi playing a Dutar


15/19

15

Magtymguly Pyragy: Turkmen

literature assumed its full

identity after the emergence of

Makhtumkuli in the 18thcentury. The simple yet profound

quality of his poems has, over

two centuries, dominated the

minds of not only the Turkmens,

but all Turkic peoples living in

the vast region from the Oxus to

the Transcaucasus.

Makhtumkuli attached great

importance to the Truth and the

concept of a perfect man, as a

Sufi would do. However, the

human suffering and social

injustice which he witnessedaround himself made him pay

attention to worldly matters too.

He became more interested in

the concept of the happiness of

his people. The first poet to

introduce political themes, social

criticism and even new forms

into Turkmen literature,

Makhtumkuli wrote on an

enormous variety of subjects

which appeal to various strata of

Turkmen and other Turkicpeoples. For this reason some see

Makhtumkuli as a spiritual

leader and a teacher, others as a

patriot and a guide leading his

people to happiness. (Text from:http://www.gunesh.org/english/azemoun_

makhtumkuli.htm)


16/19

16

Koroglu


17/19


18/19


19/19

19

ceres country profile - turkmenistan

Documents