It is rather difficult to answer the question of what to bring from Turkmenistan, since, on the one hand, the choice of souvenirs and gifts here is not as large as in Egypt or France. On the other hand, Turkmen craftsmen carefully preserve traditions and technologies, therefore today you can buy goods and gifts with a national character.
Horses and carpets are the visiting cards of the country; it is clear that only a few foreign travelers can afford to buy a beautiful and proud animal. But a souvenir image of a horse, made of wood or metal, for example, copper or silver, can be afforded by many guests. The same goes for carpets, but the tips for buying these priceless pieces of art are just below.
What to bring from Turkmenistan from clothes?
Traditional outfits of Turkmen men and women are very beautiful, in many villages they are still used, along with modern products. Tourists prefer to buy either ready-made garments, or "keteni", fabric, woven at home, on an old loom that has survived from their ancestors. This fabric keeps the warmth of the hands of the craftswoman, demonstrates modern craftsmanship and patterns of previous centuries. In addition to Turkmen homespun cloths, national headdresses are also popular with guests: Turkmen skullcaps; Telpek.
Skull-caps are a common headdress, but they are not identical to those made on the other side of the border, each country has its own manufacturing secrets, its own color palette and patterns. Telpek is a fur garment traditionally made from white sheepskin. Many people remember this headdress, however, black, which was worn by the Coward, the hero of Georgy Vitsin in the film "Prisoner of the Caucasus".
Turkmen values
The main treasures of Turkmenistan are the famous woolen and silk carpets, a symbol of hard work and craftsmanship. It is prohibited to export products older than 50 years from the country, so tourists are advised to make such purchases in state-owned stores and keep receipts for presentation at customs. If the carpet was purchased from a private person, then the buyer at his own expense conducts an examination, receives a conclusion about the age, only on the basis of this document he will be able to take his purchase home.
The carpet is, in some sense, a sacred symbol of Turkmenistan; in the old days, each tribe had its own traditional patterns. People who know how to decipher patterns could tell how the tribe lived and what it did, what crafts were common, what cultural traditions existed. Today, Turkmen carpets contain national patterns, symbolic images of plants and animals, primarily those that are common in this region.
It is clear that real Turkmen carpets, woven of wool or silk, are quite expensive, beyond the means of many ordinary travelers. There is an option to buy a felt mat, the so-called felt mats. They are actively used in everyday life by the Turkmen, therefore, foreign guests will also be able to find practical use for these gifts, reminding them of a wonderful journey every day.
Jewelry made of silver and other metals will be no less wonderful reminder of Turkmenistan; they are popular with the female half of the group and have very nice names:
- "Isek", ten rings, which were connected by chains to a bracelet, some of them also had a thimble, convenient for sewing and embroidery;
- "Asyk", a hair ornament resembling a figurine of a goddess, a symbol of feminine strength and fertility;
- "Borek", a trapezoid head ornament with a complex system of patterns;
- "Somsole", also an adornment for the head, consists of small pendants, outwardly similar to a fringe.
In addition to these ornaments, Turkmen women and girls wore amulet symbols. For example, "dagdan" was the emblem of the Seljuks, it was performed in the form of two eagles, symbolizing divine power. "Golyaka" is an adornment of very large sizes, which was worn on the chest, on a chain. It is clear that for tourists the true, symbolic meaning of jewelry does not play the same role as for the Turkmens. Guests pay more attention to the aesthetic component, whether bracelets, pendants and pendants made according to ancient Turkmen technologies will be in harmony with modern outfits.
Turkmenistan opens not only when traveling through its endless steppes or mountainous regions. You can continue your acquaintance with this ancient and beautiful country after returning from it, trying to unravel the secrets of Turkmen patterns on the carpet or symbols present in massive women's jewelry made of metal. The desire to learn the secrets of the ancient Turkmen can motivate the tourist to return to the country and continue the route.
