On the last Sunday of October, our country will celebrate one of the holidays in the national calendar - the Day of the Turkmen Alabai. In light of this event, activities, exhibitions and discussion meetings are held in Ashgabat and in all velayats dedicated to the ancient breed of dogs and the upcoming II International Competition for the title of the Courageous Alabai, which will be held on October 30th this year. Before the main celebrations, the State Children's Library of Turkmenistan named after B. Amanov held a number of meetings with pupils of the capital's schools.
The topic of discussion was devoted to the book of the Hero-Arkadag "Türkmen alabaýy" ("Turkmen Alabay"). This publication, translated into several foreign languages, tells in detail about the origin and development of the famous dog breed, along with Akhal-Teke horses and carpets, which has become a national symbol that has come down to our days from time immemorial. Thanks to the book full of colorful photographs and interesting information, schoolchildren learned about the role played by Alabai in the fate of the Turkmen people. After all, Alabai was glorified in folklore, literature, art, as well as in the patterns of world-famous Turkmen carpets.
For many centuries, alabai has been not only a faithful helper and defender, but also a true friend of the Turkmens. Numerous archaeological finds testify to the close relationship between humans and this breed of dog. So, in Margush and the ancient monuments of the Jeytun culture, archaeologists found the burial places of Alabays. Terracotta figurines were found at the Bronze Age site of Altyn-Depe. The wall painting of hunting with the participation of ancient Turkmen dogs has been preserved in Pessejik-depe. This and other historical information is presented on the pages of the book of the Hero-Arkadag "Türkmen alabaýy". Trying to acquaint the readership with this literary work as widely as possible, librarians continue to carry out educational work among the younger generation.
