250px, A Yomut Turkmen in a traditional attire, early 20th century. The Turkmen people have traditionally been nomads and equestrians, and even today after the fall of the USSR attempts to urbanize the Turkmens have not been very successful. They never really formed a coherent nation or ethnic group until they were forged into one by Joseph Stalin in the 1930s. Rather they are divided into clans, and each clan has its own dialect and style of dress. Turkmens are famous for making knotted Turkmen carpets, often mistakenly called "

Bukhara rug A Turkmen rug ( tk, Türkmen haly; or Turkmen carpet or Turkoman carpet) is a type of handmade floor-covering textile traditionally originating in Central Asia. It is useful to distinguish between the original Turkmen tribal rugs and the rugs pr ...

s" in the West. These are elaborate and colorful hand-knotted carpets, and these too help indicate the distinctions among the various Turkmen clans. The Turkmens are

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...

s but they, like most of the region's nomads, adhere to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. A Turkmen man can be identified anywhere by the traditional "telpek" hats, which are large black or white sheepskin hats that resemble afros. Traditional dress for men consists of high, shaggy sheepskin hats and red robes over white shirts. Women wear long sack-dresses over narrow trousers (the pants are trimmed with a band of embroidery at the ankle). Female headdresses usually consist of silver jewelry. Bracelets and brooches are set with semi-precious stones.

History

Language

Outside the capital, the national language of

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

is the most widely encountered. In Ashgabat and Türkmenbaşy, the Russian is commonly encountered, but with recent efforts to revive the ancient culture of Turkmenistan, Turkmen is quickly regaining its place as the chief language of the state.

Literature

Two significant figures in traditional Turkmen literature are the poets

Magtymguly Pyragy Magtymguly Pyragy ( fa, ''Makhdumqoli Farāghi''; tk, Magtymguly Pyragy; ; tr, Mahtumkulu Firaki; , born Magtymguly, was a Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet, Sufi and traveller who is considered to be the most famous figure in ...

and

Mämmetweli Kemine Mämmetweli Kemine (c. 1770 – c. 1840) was a Turkmen satirical poet whose works have become a key part of Turkmen literature. Born in Sarahs, he studied at the Islamic medrassah in Bukhara Bukhara (Uzbek language, Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухор� ...

Theatre

There are 10 state theaters in Turkmenistan: 5 in Ashgabat and 5 in regional centers. В Туркменистане утверждён порядок предоставления театрам статусов «Академический» и «Национальный»
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Music

Turkmen music is very similar to

Khorasan Khorasan may refer to: * Greater Khorasan, a historical region which lies mostly in modern-day northern/northwestern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan * Khorasan Province, a pre-2004 province of Ira ...

i music.

Heritage sites

Gallery

File:Tekke kapunuk.jpg, Tekke Turkmen ''kapunuk'' (door surround), early 19th century. A kapunuk is designed to surround a door frame, providing a decorative entry to a circular Turkmen yurt. File:Musée du Quai Branly Pendentif turkmene 04032012 1.jpg, Turkmen woman's jewelry, metal and cornelian, 20th century. Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France. File:Musée du Quai Branly Bijou turkmene 04032012 1.jpg, Turkmen woman's jewelry, silver, gold and cornelian, 20th century. Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France. File:Turkmenistan at II World Nomad Games opening ceremony.jpg, Turkmen man and his son hoist the flag of Turkmenistan while on horseback at the opening ceremony for the 2008 World Nomad Games.

References

External links

Official state web-site dedicated to the culture of Turkmenistan

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