As was already informed, in the course of the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan held the past week, the good news of inclusion of Turkmen embroidery in the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of UNESCO was delivered. This decision was unanimously adopted at the 17th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco.
Having warmly congratulated compatriots with adoption of this important international decision, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov underlined that in the course of many years at the initiative of Hero Arkadag in Turkmenistan a great deal of work is carried out to preserve, to enrich and to popularize widely the cultural and spiritual heritage of our people, who made a great contribution to the treasure of universal values in the world. The given area that further enrichment of cultural values of Turkmen people acts as one of the priority areas of the state policy of the fatherland. At that, the special attention is attached to development of constructive cooperation with foreign partners both at the intergovernmental level and in the format of important international institutions such as United Nations.
In the given context, one should note the fruitful character of the dialogue with specialized UN agencies such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to which the successful experience of long years in joint work and plans testify. The National Commission for UNESCO of Turkmenistan operates on a permanent basis and the relevant internet resource was created.
For past years, the UNESCO List, which includes historical and cultural monuments of world significance, also included unique monuments located in the territory of our country, various forms of art of Turkmen people and its literary legacy.
Among them are ancient Marv, Koneurgench, and Parthian fortress of Nisa. Noted for their famous archaeological and architectural sights, they have taken a worthy place in the UNESCO World Heritage List. So, ancient Marv is one of the oldest and mostly intact preserved city oases on the great Silk Road. In those days, it represented a giant mega polis, which at the turn of millennia was a strategic crossroad of trade routes. By the results of long years of researches, by right ancient Marv was recognized one of the centres of world civilization.
In Koneurgench, where in the Middle Ages there emerged a unique intellectual and artistic environment, which gave rise to a myriads of gifted scholars, philosophers and poets, skilled craftsmen, there were developed and perfected roots of the famous school of architecture. Its fruits became wonderful creations of national architecture, which have been preserved up to our days. The place of attraction for local and foreign researchers also became the ancient fortress of Nisa, the capital of the Parthian kingdom, which today attests to its grandeur, and high level of development of the city itself.
In 2011, Turkmenistan joined the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Intangible Heritage and since then, takes an active part in international efforts to realize its regulations.
In this connection, it should be noted that in 2015, the UNESCO List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity also included «Gorogly» epic nominated by our country. The historical and cultural value, artistic and aesthetic significance of this outstanding sample of oral Turkmen national art where one can see such features of national character as nobleness, bravery, loyalty and friendship, are undisputable.
In 2017, the Turkmen national art of singing and dance “kushtdepdi” was also included in the List. This colourful sample of national art, which embodies constant link between the times and generations, today is a bright example of harmonious combination of centuries old spiritual experience and age-old traditions of the nation with creative energy of modernity.
And, of course, the subject of true pride of our people was inclusion of Turkmen national carpet weaving art in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2019. Carpets woven by skilled Turkmen weavers were always valued highly in the world. These handmade masterpieces amazing with their beauty, fineness and harmony of colours are the artistic reflection of spiritual uniqueness of our people and its enormous creative potential.
In the modern historical period, Turkmen carpet patterns became one of the national symbols of independent neutral fatherland decorating the national flag of Turkmenistan. The book by Hero Arkadag devoted to the origins of Turkmen carpet weaving art, which is today enriched with the new content, was a great contribution to popularization of this unique art in the world. With its translation into many foreign languages, it attracted the attention of readers from various countries of the world.
Further, it should be marked that in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity also included the handcraft of dutar making and performing musical art of bagshy. It should be mentioned that the decision was unanimously adopted in the 16th session of the above-mentioned intergovernmental committee held in Paris (French Republic) in December 2021.
The dutar is a symbol of musical culture of Turkmens. Since the olden days and today it serves as a basic attribute of national solemnities and holidays in our country. Skilled masters of dutar and performance of dastans by bagshy, the names of whom still live with us, speaks of songs and legends of those great persons. The art of bagshy –musicians, storytellers and singers represents a great sample of high artistic mastery developed in the course of centuries and perfected with every passing generation.
Today wonderful melodies of the Turkmen dutar became a unique hymn of sacred independence and neutrality of the fatherland, its adherence to principles of humanism, peace loving and creation. The skill of gifted bards, peculiarities of dutar making art as well as peace building mission of music art are reflected well in the works by Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which won the love and wide recognition of pubic readers.
Returning to the topic of inclusion of the Turkmen embroidery in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity, it should be pointed out that without doubt it is an inseparable part of the treasure of national cultural values. Following age-old traditions, today our masters create wonderful original designs and ornaments serving elements of clothing, household items, and decorative articles. This poplar form of applied art is one of the unique visiting cards of Turkmenistan.
By the way, Türkmen women, who are keepers and successors of creative traditions of our glorious ancestors, were famous for their fine needlework. Having reached a high perfection in this form of art, they were always ready to share their rich experience with others. It also got its recognition in the course of the first meeting of the international community of needlewomen of Central Asia, held as video conference on November 23. The forum was held within the framework of the chairmanship of Turkmenistan in 2022 in the Dialogue of Women of Central Asia according to the schedule of events planned for this month and work plan of the Dialogue for the current year.
At present, the relevant work is carried out to include Ashgabat in a number of cities of UNESCO under the design category that will not only be the next fact of recognition of the service of Turkmen capital in development of international cultural dialogue as a strategic element of sustainable social and economic development, but also will enable to expands its interaction with world cities.
Today, white marble-coated Ashgabat by right is called a pearl of Asia. As a large business, cultural and sports centre of the region, today our capital has embodied in itself a unique model of a dynamically developing mega polis –the city of future where beauty and comfort harmoniously combine, advanced achievements of architecture and engineering and technical solutions and age-old traditions of national architecture find their reflection.
In addition to them, issues connected with inclusion of Akhalteke horse breeding heritage, propagation of the Turkmen alabai and others are also considered and studied and due work is carried out to prepare their nominations, including transnational ones as well.
Thus, the scope of partnership between Turkmenistan and UNESCO expands constantly and new prospects open for intensification of traditional fruitful relations, including such areas as ecology, physical culture and sports.
In the context of interaction with important global and regional institutions, one should also note the constructive character of the dialogue with the international organization of Turkic culture (TURKSOY), meeting goals of strengthening of friendship and goodwill, positive cooperation between peoples united with historical roots and spiritual values.
The prospect of further development of multifaceted partnership in the format of the Turksoy were discussed in the course of meeting of the President of Türkmenistan with the Secretary General of the Organization held on November 28. In this regard, issues connected with the 30th anniversary of Turksoy, which will be marked the next year, and celebration of the 300th anniversary of the famous poet and philosopher of Magtymguly Fragi in 2024 were touched upon.
As known, in the meeting held in Bursa (Republic of Turkey) of the permanent council of Turksoy, the decision on declaration of the year 2024 “Year of the great poet and philosopher of the Turkic world –Magtymguly Fragi“ was unanimously adopted. This fact speaks of a great tribute and respect paid to the classic of Turkmen and world literature, humanist, who glorified ideals of peace, friendship and good in his works.
Besides it, by the decision of the permanent council of Turksoy, the ancient Turkmen city of Anau was declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world for 2024. It will enable the city to obtain new opportunities to display its rich historical and cultural heritage and tourist potential as well as popularize sights of Turkmenistan in the world.
No doubt, that events of such scale will give new impulses for interstate cooperation within the Turksoy that will facilitate further development of Turkic culture, which is rather diverse and has much common.
It is noteworthy that at the end of November Ashgabat hosted the international festival and conference «National music and song art in the heritage of world peoples», organized on the initiative of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov by the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. The forum was participated by representatives of international organizations, profile state institutions, singers and musicians, scholars and specialists, teachers of higher educational establishments, workers of culture and art from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazahstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tatarstan (Russian Federation), Turkey and Uzbekistan.
It is symbolic that the given festival was held on the eve of International Day of Neutrality. Having obtained this peace making status, our neutral fatherland has taken upon itself the most important obligation – to build harmonic relations with both neighbouring and faraway countries of the planet and facilitate the ensuring of universal peace and well-being, including by an active promotion of cultural diplomacy.
Development of humanitarian cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats is an inseparable part of the foreign policy of Turkmenistan. This topic always is on the agenda of meetings and high level talks with the framework of visits of the head of the state to foreign countries. Joint events, creative exchanges can serve results of agreements reached in this area.
So, in the first half of November, Turkmenistan hosted Days of Korean culture timed to the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. At present, the interstate cooperation successfully develops in the context of the open doors policy pursued under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The program of creative actions started with the opening of the festival of Korean films in Ashgabat included the presentation and tasting of popular foods of national Korean cuisine, display of national costume Hanbok as well as the joint concert of the state symphony orchestra of Turkmenistan and Korean quartet “Gugak”.
The significant event of the current year was also the festival of friendship of Turkmen and Uzbek peoples held in November, in Dashoguz. Congratulatory messages of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev were sent to its participants. In their greetings heads of states underlined especially commonality of historical and spiritual roots, culture and traditions, customs, closeness of languages and mentality of two peoples that enable today to enrich them with new content, deep meaning and firm friendship, good neighbourhood and brotherly relations of our countries. The rich program of the forum included the joint concert of workers of art and culture, theatre plays, a number of other events that created a wonderful condition to enrich Turkmen–Uzbek creative contacts.
On the margin of the festival in the building «Türkmeniň ak öýi» in Dashoguz city a large-scale exhibition of craftsmen, works of fine, decorative and applied art of both countries was held. Unique traditions and customs of Turkmen and Uzbek peoples, unique beauty of nature, historical monuments, culture and modern architecture were highlighted in the works displayed here.
In the past month, Turkmenistan also hosted Days of culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, which served a new efficient contribution to the development of the interstate dialogue. The opening of the creative event was held in the capital where the concert of workers of art and culture of the friendly country was organized. The diverse program of Days of culture also included the exhibition where works by modern artists, masters of handcrafts of Tajikistan, publishing services, photos, other exhibits, meeting of cinematographers of two countries and show of films created by Tajik producers and performance of actors took place. The closing ceremony of Days of culture of the Republic of Tajikistan was held in Mary city on November 25.
Thus, the creative foreign policy strategy of independent neutral Turkmenistan pursued steadily under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, one of the priority areas of which is cultural diplomacy, yields obvious fruits and serves expansion of multilateral relations with states of the region and the planet enriching the humanitarian dialogue as the most important factor of international cooperation meeting interests of universal peace, prosperity and progress.
