Interesting objects of civil architecture: bridges, TV towers, etc. The main attractions of Turkmenistan: photos and description
The Museum of Ethnography and Local History of Turkmenistan of the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan was opened in 2009 on May 18. The three-story building is adjacent to the main building of the museum. On the first floor of the museum there is an exhibition dedicated to the nature of Turkmenistan, on the second - the ethnography of the Turkmen people.
The Department of Nature and Local History consists of eleven sections. The first section is devoted to the origin of the universe (where one of the valuable exhibits of the museum, the Kunya-Urgench meteorite, is located) and the evolution of life on Earth, where fossils and prints of ancient organisms found on the territory of Turkmenistan are presented. Among them, it should be noted, the unique prints of dinosaur tracks (age about 150 million years), discovered in the South-East of Turkmenistan (Khojapil Plateau), the only traces in the world of the ancient camel Arvan (age 2.5 million years), located in Western Kopetdag , a fragment of a jaw with a tooth of a Forest elephant and a mandibular tooth of a Khazar elephant, which lived on the territory of Turkmenistan 100-200 thousand years ago.
The second section of the museum introduces the physical and geographical characteristics of Turkmenistan. Here are presented: a climate map and a map of water basins, soil monoliths and minerals of Turkmenistan.
From the third to the tenth sections, the visitor gets acquainted with the regions of Turkmenistan. The journey begins with the Koytendag Mountains, where the exhibition includes the karst Karlyuk caves, the deep-water lake Kettekol, etc. The north of the country is represented by the dioramas “Kaplankyr” and “Sarykamysh Lake” with its flora and fauna. In the south of Turkmenistan there is a unique place - Badkhyz and the reserve of the same name, created in 1941 to preserve the kulans. In this section, a magnificent diorama introduces natural monuments: Lake Eroylanduz and wild pistachio woodlands. There is also a collection of insects and arachnids.
One of the largest dioramas is dedicated to the Kopetdag Mountains, where animals and vegetable world mountains: bezoar goat, argali, Central Asian leopard, marten, Brown bear, wolf and birds - griffon vulture, goshawk, partridge and others.
80% of the territory of Turkmenistan is occupied by the Karakum Desert. The diorama dedicated to this landscape features: goitered gazelle, caracal, corsac fox, tolai hare, gray monitor lizard, sand cat, Red Book bustard, etc.
One of the valuable exhibits of the nature department is the Turanian tiger, presented in the diorama “Amu Darya”.
Turkmenistan lies on the route of seasonal migrations of many species of birds, inhabitants of the tundra, northern seas, lakes, rivers, forests and steppes. The museum exhibits 109 species of birds, many of which are listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan and the IUCN.
The exhibition ends with display cases dedicated to nature conservation and portraits biologists Turkmenistan.
The ethnography department widely reveals the traditions and customs of the Turkmen people and presents everyday life, national clothing, crafts, military weapons, musical instruments, and silver jewelry.
The exhibition is based on ancient historical data, which are the sources of life and activity of the Turkmens. For this purpose, at the beginning of the exhibition the most early period development of culture with its inherent characteristic features. This ancient historical monument, located in the north-west of Ashgabat, is known as the Jeitun culture, dating back to 3 thousand BC.
Altyndepe, dating back to the Bronze Age, is considered the first city on the territory of Turkmenistan. This is where they originate Agriculture, craft and art. Chapter ancient history ends historical monument 2nd millennium BC e. - the state of Margush.
Turkmen youths were always distinguished by their courage and were famous for their ability to skillfully wield weapons. The museum exhibits include a shield, spear, chain mail, steel sabers, swords, and knives of the 18th-19th centuries, as well as firearms used in battles.
The main occupation of settled tribes was agriculture, to which a diorama is dedicated, reflecting the pre-sowing harvest in the foothills of the Kopetdag. Tools and objects used in agriculture are also presented here and in separate display cases.
The production of vegetable oil from sesame and cotton seeds was widespread, for which an oil churn was used - “juvaz”, driven by domestic animals - a camel or a donkey.
Water has always been at a premium for the Turkmen people. In the villages there were yashuls who accurately determined where to dig a well or kariz (underground water galleries). One of the display cases shows special accessories for digging a well. Residents of the Amu Darya regions used various water structures to irrigate fields and vegetable gardens: dzhikyrs and depmenobas, with the help of which river water rose to the level of crops. In the exhibition they are presented in life size.
The main occupation of the Caspian residents was fishing, reflected in a separate diorama.
Nomadic tribes were engaged in cattle breeding and hunting. The display cases display traps, shot, other accessories and information about the hunting dog - Tazy and falconry.
The exhibition features a life-size tamdyr - a clay oven for baking national flatbread, which is still used by the people today. The white yurt, in festive decoration, especially attracts attention. Here you can get acquainted with such carpet products as a torba - a wall-mounted bag for dishes; chuval – wall-mounted bag for clothes; akjayup - family heirloom; Umur-Duman - for ceiling decoration and floor carpets.
The Turkmen people have their own historically established customs and rituals when holding a wedding. One of the large, colorful dioramas of the exhibition tells about this.
For the Turkmen, a horse was like a family member. The museum exposition is decorated with the pride of the Turkmen Akhal-Teke horse, on which you can see silver jewelry specially designed for horses.
Since the Silk Road, the Turkmen people have been engaged in sericulture, but the fabrics woven by Turkmen women are special national flavor not similar to the fabrics of other nations.
Carpet weaving dates back centuries. With the help of ordinary tools - keser (knife), darak and scissors, Turkmen women created and continue to create real masterpieces of art from the wool of Sarja sheep.
They are distinguished by their special palette and elegance. national decorations, made of silver with gilding and decorated with semi-precious stones. Jewelry was worn not only by women, but also by men.
The clothing of women, children and men from five velayats amazes with its diversity, color and purpose. Most of the shop windows are dedicated to them. The exhibition ends with a display of national musical instruments– dutar, gijak, gyrgytuduk, dillituduk, etc.
Hello my little friends. There will be no lessons today, because you and I will go to the museum. And this museum will not be easy.
This will be the most important, largest, National Museum of Turkmenistan, which was created specifically to tell the whole world about this great country and the role it played in the history and culture of world civilization. So put aside the Rukhnama and let's go watch it.
Not long ago, the National Museum moved to a new building that houses thousands of historical exhibits.
And in front of the building stands the largest free-standing flagpole in the world with the largest flag in the world (and let the Azerbaijanis assure that this is not so).
Entrance to the museum for foreigners costs 10 dollars for one section (Historical, Museum of Nature and Museum of the President - we took only the historical one, because we dropped in there literally for half an hour), and for locals - 2 manats (less than 50 cents). Photography is another $15. I haven’t seen anything more expensive anywhere in the world yet, but it’s worth it.
The building is monumental not only outside, but also inside.
And in the first hall, upon entering, visitors will find an exhibition dedicated to the statehood of the country in general and the country’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in particular (even despite the fact that a separate paid hall is dedicated to him)
From left to right - the now defunct "Arch of Neutrality" with a golden statue of Saparmurat Niyazov-Turkmenbashi at the top, the Presidential Palace, the Monument to Independence.
The sacred "Rukhnama", written by Saparmurat Turkmenbashi and the languages into which it was translated.
And these are books by the current president, who is a doctor by training and recently became a Doctor of Medical Sciences. By the way, medicine is now extremely popular in the country, and at any bookstore on the market you can buy a lot of specific medical books, and extremely scientific ones at that.
And again "Rukhnama". The first and second volume.
The parade of national treasures of Turkmenistan begins there. First - oil and gas.
Then - carpets. Moreover, the largest carpet in the world hangs in the museum.
CARPET and Turkmenbashi:
Carpet and Rukhnama:
Carpet and Akhal-Teke stallion (another National treasure)
There are also several interesting exhibits on the ground floor in the “education” section.
We go up to the second floor, in historical halls. To be honest, there are few visitors, even on Saturday.
National Turkmen outfits.
Map of historical and archaeological monuments.
Clay crafts of ancient people. According to the Ruhnama, the wheel was invented on the territory of modern Turkmenistan. The plow, writing, and metal smelting were also invented there.
The head of Alexander the Great, who in his campaigns, as is known, reached exactly the territory of modern Central Asia
The most interesting thing is the miniature copies of various ancient structures. For example, the palace and fortress of Gonur (3-2 century BC)
The ruins of ancient Merv (included in the World Heritage List) Cultural Heritage UNESCO):
Ruins of a mosque in Anau
And many other antiquities
There are also national bone horns with elegant carvings.
Ancient Kufic coins
Of particular interest is the stand dedicated to the history of the Turkmen people, which, according to the Rukhnama, comes from Oguz Khan and his six sons.
Here is just a map of how the Turkmens settled around the planet.
And here is the territory of the Great State of the Turkmen-Seljuks
And, of course, the museum presents all the key statesmen Each of them has a monument erected in the city, mainly in Independence Park (which, unfortunately, was closed for total reconstruction). Top left - Turkmenbashi.
I hope you liked our short excursion. If so, then tomorrow we will go to the Geok-Tepe fortress, the last stronghold of Turkmen resistance to tsarist colonization in 1881 and visit the mausoleum of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, as well as the largest single-domed mosque in the world.
I'll go and treat my throat. It’s good to be on sick leave, and by the end of the week I’ll have paid off almost all my photo debts.
Hello my little friends. There will be no lessons today, because you and I will go to the museum. And this museum will not be easy.
This will be the most important, largest, National Museum of Turkmenistan, which was created specifically to tell the whole world about this great country and the role it played in the history and culture of world civilization. So put the Rukhnama aside and let's go watch it.
Not long ago, the National Museum moved to a new building that houses thousands of historical exhibits. 
And in front of the building stands the largest free-standing flagpole in the world with the largest flag in the world (and let the Azerbaijanis assure that this is not so). 
Entrance to the museum for foreigners costs 10 dollars for one section (Historical, Museum of Nature and Museum of the President - we took only the historical one, because we dropped in there literally for half an hour), and for locals - 2 manats (less than 50 cents). Photography is another $15. I haven’t seen anything more expensive anywhere in the world yet, but it’s worth it.
The building is monumental not only outside, but also inside. 
And in the first hall, upon entering, visitors will find an exhibition dedicated to the statehood of the country in general and the country’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in particular (even despite the fact that a separate paid hall is dedicated to him) 
From left to right - the now defunct "Arch of Neutrality" with a golden statue of Saparmurat Niyazov-Turkmenbashi at the top, the Presidential Palace, the Monument to Independence. 
The sacred "Rukhnama", written by Saparmurat Turkmenbashi and the languages into which it was translated. 
And these are books by the current president, who is a doctor by training and recently became a Doctor of Medical Sciences. By the way, medicine is now extremely popular in the country, and at any bookstore on the market you can buy a lot of specific medical books, and extremely scientific ones at that. 
And again "Rukhnama". The first and second volume. 
The parade of national treasures of Turkmenistan begins there. First - oil and gas. 
Then - carpets. Moreover, the largest carpet in the world hangs in the museum. 
CARPET and Turkmenbashi: 
Carpet and Rukhnama: 
Carpet and Akhal-Teke stallion (another national treasure) 
There are also several interesting exhibits on the ground floor in the “education” section. 
We go up to the second floor, into the historical halls. To be honest, there are few visitors, even on Saturday. 
National Turkmen outfits. 
Map of historical and archaeological monuments. 
Clay crafts of ancient people. According to the Ruhnama, the wheel was invented on the territory of modern Turkmenistan. The plow, writing, and metal smelting were also invented there. 
The head of Alexander the Great, who in his campaigns, as is known, reached the territory of modern Central Asia 
The most interesting thing is the miniature copies of various ancient structures. For example, the palace and fortress of Gonur (3-2 century BC) 
Ruins of ancient Merv (included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List): 
Ruins of a mosque in Anau 
...and many other antiquities 
There are also national bone horns with elegant carvings. 
Ancient Kufic coins 
Of particular interest is the stand dedicated to the history of the Turkmen people, which, according to the Rukhnama, comes from Oguz Khan and his six sons. 
Here is just a map of how the Turkmens settled around the planet. 
And here is the territory of the Great State of the Turkmen-Seljuks 
And, of course, the museum presents all the key government figures without exception. Each of them has a monument erected in the city, mainly in Independence Park (which, unfortunately, was closed for total reconstruction). Top left - Turkmenbashi. 
On October 6, 1948, an uncontrolled natural disaster claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Ashgabat residents. The symbol of this memory was the memorial complex created on the initiative of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi at the foot of the Arch of Neutrality.
Here on high pedestal, a multi-figure sculptural composition was installed: a mighty bull holding the broken earth on its horns, the bodies of the dead, and a woman raising her son over the ruins of the city with a desperate movement of her hand. This is not only grief for the departed, but also hope, faith and the triumph of life addressed to future generations.
At the bottom of the memorial there is an exhibition dedicated to tragic events 1948. The main part of the exhibition - about the earthquake and its consequences, as well as how the city was restored - is located in rooms located on different levels on the pedestal sculptural composition. On the lower floor there is an exhibition of sculptures dedicated to the tragedy of the city, and one of the halls is devoted to the theme of the revival of the capital.
Main National Museum of Turkmenistan
The main national museum of Turkmenistan is largest museum the whole country. The museum began its existence on November 12, 1998. The museum has a fee and discounted admission for local residents. Tuesday is considered the museum's official day off.
The museum building is located on Archibal Avenue. It was built after the independence of Turkmenistan was declared. The area of the museum is approximately 15 thousand square meters. km.
In 2009, at the peak of development and construction of modern entertainment centers and buildings in the country, it was decided to reconstruct the museum. The project was undertaken by the Turkish company Polimex. During the renovation of the museum, several new buildings were added to its building: the Museum of Local History and Ethnography, as well as the Museum of the President of Turkmenistan.
The museum contains about 115 thousand exhibits, which include monuments from old Nisa and Ancient Merv. The museum also houses collections of ancient carpets, rare examples national clothes and fabrics, household items, awards, weapons and products made of precious metals.
The museum constantly operates 7 galleries that are dedicated to culture, ethnography, as well as the history of all of Turkmenistan.
Turkmen Carpet Museum
The National Museum of Turkmen Carpet is located in the very center of Ashgabat. It is located near the State Joint Stock Turkmenhaly and is the national museum of Turkmenistan.
The museum was created in 1993 on the basis of the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan, with the goal of capturing forever the traditions of Turkmen carpet weaving. Since then, every year Turkmenistan celebrates Turkmen Carpet Day. Of course, the center of the holiday was the only museum in the world with that name.
In that cultural center 2,000 carpets were collected, including rare exhibits. Here you can see the smallest carpet for keys and a carpet with an area of 301 square meters. m. called “Altyn Asyr”, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest handmade carpet in the world. It is interesting that the carpet was created specifically for the tenth anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence.
The museum restores old, skillfully woven carpets and hosts exhibitions. It is open every day, except weekends, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sights of Ashgabat
Cradle of ancient civilizations Turkmenistan contains many wonderful secrets and mysteries. The mighty walls of the brilliant Khorezm, the ruins of the ancient Parthian kingdom of Nissa, the sand-covered skeletons of abandoned watchtowers - these and others sights of Turkmenistan are the highlight of the mysterious state of Turkmenistan. The pride of Turkmenistan is the world-famous Akhal-Teke stallions, fast as the wind. You can see this noble animal in all its glory at the national holiday of the Akhal-Teke horse.
Entertainment of Turkmenistan
A feature of the Turkmen people is the diversity of bright national holidays and customs. Entertainment of Turkmenistan They are distinguished by their originality and picturesque national color. Currently, with dynamically developing tourism, many entertainment complexes and entertainment venues are being built in the country.
There are countless cultural and historical sites of antiquity located on the territory of Turkmenistan. Interesting places in Turkmenistan carry a living thread of history. The most popular among tourists are: attractions like the ancient cities of Merv, Urgench, Misrian and Serakhs - the first settlement prehistoric people, the ruins of the Tasharvat caravanserai, the huge necropolis of Gonur-Depe. History of Turkmenistan frozen in all its grandeur and diversity in these temples of art.
Unique natural monuments - the endless Karakum Desert, the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay, the ancient mud volcano Boyadag, the Kugitang Nature Reserve, which imprints traces of Jurassic dinosaurs on its territory - amaze with their beauty and calm grandeur.
Excursions of Turkmenistan
Fascinating and lively places occupy a special place in the program of tourist routes in Turkmenistan. Excursion routes include visits to most interesting places and corners of the country: Altyndepe, Nissa, Dehistan, ancient streets of Ashgabat, amazing mausoleums and necropolises of ancient Merv.
Monuments of Turkmenistan
Besides archaeological sites natural resources are of great value. Among them is a unique piece of the Karakum - the Repetek Nature Reserve, which houses a desert research center. In this extraordinary natural complex home to diverse and rare species of desert inhabitants - king cobras, numerous rodents and reptiles, including giant monitor lizards - the powerful “dragons of the desert”.
Museums of Turkmenistan
The national, largest scientific centers of the country are rightfully considered the custodians of the priceless historical and cultural heritage of the country. Unique examples of ceramics, visual arts presented in the exhibitions of the museums “Ak Bugday”, “Geoktepe”, Main national museum Turkmenistan. The exotic museum of the Turkmen carpet and many other repositories of antiquity are popular among tourists.