President of Turkmenistan addressed the welcoming statement to participants of the international scientific conference on the ancient history of Dehistan.

In particular the statement says, “Turkmenistan – the fifth centre of world culture recognized by the world scientific community, a country famous for its ancient historical and cultural monuments. Our national historical and cultural reserves such as Merv, Kunya Urgench, Nisa, Altyndepe, Jeitun, Abiverd keeping the memory about the Turkmen’s glorious past alive nowadays arise keen interest among scientists, travelers and tourists from all over the world. Dehistan – the land with the 3,000-year history that profoundly contributed to a world civilization ranks among these cultural and historical monuments.

“Dehistan – the centre of an early civilization keeping the traces of Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age and Middle Age. An earthenware glazed figurine of the cock, a cast metallic statuette of the bull, the bone head of the snake, ceramic articles, the traces and dry canals, big and small water storage pools, extant grains of barley, grain and sesame, amazingly ornamented bronze mortars and tamdyr – all of these are the evidence of the first experiments in arable farming in the vast expanses of Mashat-Misrian, an invaluable role of Dehistan in building a world civilization.

“The famous monuments of the Ancient Dehistan State Historical and Cultural Reserve situated in the vast flat country of the Balkan Velayat – Bukheira, Akhur, Fyrghul, Khabsaran, Rustemgala, Yylanly, Madau, Shaduzgala, Akjagala, Khanlydepe, Gokjukdepe, Mashat-Misrian which became widely known in the medieval period for the characteristic traditions of the national architecture are an inseparable part of the values common to all mankind more often attracting the attention of famous scientist, researchers, travelers and tourists from different countries worldwide.

“Situated on the Silk Great Route Turkmenistan performed the noble mission of the bridge between these earliest centres of the world civilizations. For 1,500 years laying across Nisa, Merv, Dehistan, Kunya Urgench, Amul and other towns of Turkmenistan the Silk Great Route promoted the progress, mutual enrichment and development of co-operation, helped to establish and enhance the relations among the cultures of various peoples, mutual enrichment of the tangible and cultural and spiritual values turning these towns into the large scientific and cultural centres in their golden age.

“Dehistan is the native land to many renowned men of science, literature, culture, famous physicians and men of letters who worked under the pen names of Akhuri, Dehistani, Fyrguli, Suli, Hartyri.

“An undeniable evidence of that the history of medicine in Turkmenistan spanned several millennia are the works of the coryphées of science such as Abu Ali ibn Sina, Abu Reikhan Biruni, Seyid Ismail Gurgenli describing the healing properties of the endemic plants of Dehistan and containing the evidence of teaching medicine along with religion and secular disciplines at 20 local madrasahs. The results of the archeological excavations in Dehistan proved that several pharmacies existed and worked there.

“At present many research projects aimed at thorough study and propagation of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Turkmenistan are successfully implemented. As a result of the work of the joint Turkmen-French archeological expedition 113 monuments were registered in the Ancient Dehistan. At present the showpieces of ancient architecture, fine and applied arts, handicraft trade and other trends in culture of Dehistan adorn the exposition halls of many museums in our country, the Russian Federation and other countries worldwide.

“I believe international scientific co-operation built on a solid foundation will result in the serious research in the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Turkmen nation, the study of its archeological and architectural monuments.”