Turkmenistan also known as Turkmenia, is a landlocked country in Central
Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east
and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest
and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of
the country. The population of the country is about 6 million, the lowest of
the Central Asian republics. Turkmenistan is one of the most sparsely populated
nations in Asia. Citizens of Turkmenistan are known as Turkmenistanis (where
citizenship and not ethnicity is emphasized), Turkmenians or Turkmens.
The Turkmen Carpet Museum or the National Carpet Museum is a national
museum, Address: Ashgabat,
Hero of Turkmenistan Atamurat Niyazov Avenue, 158. Working Hours: 09:
00-17: 30 (Mon-Fri), 09: 00-13: 00 (Sat), closed Sundays.
The National Carpet Museum in Ashgabat is located in the city center
near 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.
The museum opened on
24 October 1994. It has the largest collection of Turkmen carpets of any
museum. It has a rich collection of Turkmen carpets from the medieval through
to the 20th century, including over 1000 carpets from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Aside from its extensive collection of antique carpets, it has many carpet
articles, chuvals, khurjuns, torba etc.
On the first floor of the museum are Tekke and Sarik carpets. The museum
is noted for its huge Tekke carpets. One Tekke carpet measures 193m² and weighs
a tonne and was made by some 40 people in 1941 to make a curtain for the Bolshoi
Theatre in Moscow. Another, made in 2001, is even larger, measuring 301m² and
14 by 21.2 metres and was made to commemorate 10 years of Turkmen independence
from the Soviet Union. It is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the
largest hand-woven carpet in the world. One carpet, made in 1968, is
representative of all the tribes in Turkmenistan, fusing together the different
styles to display unity. The museum also has carpets dedicated to President
Niyazov. Some of the carpets on display are two-sided, often featuring different
design on each side.
The carpet museum is also recognized by the Turkmen government as the
official authority on Turkmen carpets. Although many carpets are bought from
the museum shop or factory, charging M15,000 per square meter of carpet,
depending on the carpet quality, many are bought in the extensive Tolkuchka
Bazaar on the city outskirts. If anybody in Turkmenistan purchases a carpet and
wants to export it, experts from the Carpet Museum must inspect it and issue a
receipt confirming that the carpet is not of historical value, to allow it to
be exported from Turkmenistan. Usually there are restrictions on exporting
carpets older than 30 years old and if it is determined that the carpet has
historical value, then a receipt for export will not be given. This policy
restriction on exporting carpets is not only an obligation for tourists but
Turkmen citizens also must have their carpets inspected. This has had a
profound impact on entrepreneurs in Turkmenistan who find it difficult to
develop their businesses internationally.
Precisely when and where carpet weaving originated in the world remains
a mystery. However, there is clear evidence that handwoven rugs have been
produced in Turkmenistan since ancient times. Archaeologists have discovered
loom equipment dating from the 4th to 3rd centuries BC, and during excavations
in the Sumbar Valley in southwest Turkmenistan, 2nd-century
BC bronze carpet knives were also unearthed.
The first
written record of the famous Turkmen carpet is from Marco Polo, the Italian
traveler who visited Eastern Europe and Asia in the 13th century. He praised
the carpets, calling them "the most delicate and beautiful in the
world." The explorer was not alone in his adulation of the local rugs,
which have long been distinguished for their beauty and durability, with the
quality of the fabric counted among the finest in the world.
Today in
Turkmenistan, Carpet Day is observed annually to celebrate this national
symbol. Turkmen traditional carpet motifs are present even on the national
flag, where five famous gul patterns
often found on Turkmen carpets can be seen on the flag’s vertical stripe. The
shapes are arranged in a row to form a pattern, with supporting minor decor
along the edge, and reflect the national unity of Turkmenistan. These five
primary carpet designs are likewise depicted on the red band of Turkmenistan’s
national emblem. Clockwise, they represent the Akhalteke, Salyr, Ersary,
Chovdur and Yomut tribes, and together they also symbolize the friendship and
unity of the Turkmen people.
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.
The museum,
which encompasses an area of 15,000 square meters, includes exhibition
galleries, production halls, scientific departments, warehouses and conference
rooms. The scientific departments, where employees meticulously restore old
carpets and study their historical and artistic value, is one of the most
essential branches of the museum. Specialists handle a diverse variety of local
carpets, all of which are considered state property, from Esari Turkmen rugs to
the famous Tekke carpets.
Exhibition
halls comprise a third of the museum’s total area. Items in the central folk
art exhibits date back to the 17th -19th centuries, while 8000 carpets
featuring various Turkmen rug motifs are augmented with unique displays and
updated annually. The museum also guards the smallest handwoven carpet in the
world, a keychain measuring .01 square meters and listed in the Guinness Book
of Records, and one of the largest carpets on earth, which measures an
astounding 301 square meters.
The Turkmen
Carpet Museum offers guided tours in both English and Russian. There is also a
gift shop where you can purchase a high-quality carpet and receive the
necessary documentation for export from the Turkmenistan Ministry of Carpets,
issued directly through the museum.
Sources :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmen_Carpet_Museum
https://www.advantour.com/turkmenistan/ashgabat/turkmen-carpet-museum.htm
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