A fascinating excursion into the world of carpets
On May 5, 2023, a trip to the National Museum of Turkmen carpets was organized with the participation of female students of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. During the tour, as the guide told in detail, the art of Turkmen carpet weaving originated a very long time ago. So, students can say with confidence that they got acquainted with the art of national Turkmen carpets and the way of weaving them.
As it is known, the National Carpet Museum in Ashgabat is located in the city center next to the State Association of Turkmen Hali. The museum was established by decree of the President of Turkmenistan in 1993 with the aim of preserving, reviving and creatively developing the time-honored tradition of Turkmen carpet weaving.
It should be noted with proudly that this museum is a center of Turkmen material culture and is a treasure of hundreds of valuable carpet works. Three double-faced carpets created in different years are stored in the museum. These are " Türkmeniň kalby " woven in 1941-1945, " Türkmeniň Altyn asyry " woven in 2002, as well as "Galkynyş" created in 2009, which are admired by the visitors of the museum.
As the guide underlined that at the National Carpet Museum, visitors can learn about the history of local rugs, uncover their distinctive qualities and discover how to decipher the pattern of an authentic Turkmen carpet.
In modern history, the traditional Turkmen art of carpet weaving has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In conclusion, the priceless book of the Hero-Arkadag “Living Legend” is dedicated to the centuries-old art of national carpet weaving which tells in detail about the traditions and history of Turkmen carpets, which are the most important heritage of the culture of our people.
The Turkmen people put great value on ancient carpets, not only as museum treasures, but these carpets are the decoration of each of our homes.
Gulruh GELDIYEVA,
the 2nd year student of the Faculty of International Relations
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan