Turkmenistan possesses an invaluable evidence of ancient history and the richest culture of Turkmen people. A unique heritage of our people are countless spiritual treasures that are carefully transferred from generation to generation.

Thanks to the progressive state policy initiated by National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and consistently realised under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and a special significance is given to care of preservation of monuments of history and culture and popularisation of national heritage.

So, in our country, the state register of objects of the national historical and cultural heritage of the country was published in the form of the book, prepared by the National Administration of Turkmenistan for Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments for the first time.

The given list is intended for official use of specialists and employees of historical and cultural reserves and local administrations.

Such monuments of first-ever cultivators as Gonur-depe, Gara-depe, Namazga-depe, Altyn-depe, Jeytun and Anau are located in the Turkmen land. Nisa, ancient Merv, Koneurgench, ancient Dehistan, ancient Serahs, Kerki, Abiverd and Gokdepe fortress, declared by state historical and cultural reserves are unique open-air museums. Unique monuments of ancient Merv, Koneurgench and Nisa were included in the List of the UNESCO World Heritage as having a universal value.

For years of independence in Turkmenistan, a number of standard-legal documents aimed at preservation of cultural values were consistently adopted. Among them are laws: «On protection of objects of national historical and cultural heritage», «On museums and museology», «On protection, import and export of movable values of national historical and cultural heritage» and others.

As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov underlines, work on improvement of the sphere of national culture, thorough study, protection and popularisation of national heritage in the world proceeds in the country as well as necessary measures are taken for careful preservation and study of objects of historical and cultural heritage, restoration of monuments of history and culture. Besides it, the work aimed at increase of quantity of objects for inclusion in the List of intangible cultural heritage of humanity of UNESCO is carried out.

With every passing year, the interest of international scientific community in objects of historical and cultural heritage of our country grows. In the given direction, the «State program for 2022-2028 for the careful preservation of objects of the National historical and cultural heritage, their protection and study, attracting tourists to them for 2022–2028», signed by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov during the meeting of the Cabinet, which took place on April 8, 2022 became a practical action. Within the adopted program, continuation of work for registration and certification of objects of national historical and cultural heritage, their inclusion in the state register is planned.

At the meeting of the Cabinet of the Ministers, which took place on April 12 of the current year, the report on the course of implementation of this state program was presented, in particular, under the scientific supervision of the National Administration of Turkmenistan for Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments the work on archaeological excavation, research and restoration of monuments located in all velayats of the country is successfully carried out. So, as a result of excavation at the Paryzdepe, which is in Gokdepe etrap, the unique kyariz was discovered. Discovery of such rare construction in the system of kyarizes, which provided the ancient village of Kyarizek with water, attests that the similar method of building of hydraulic engineering constructions was used in the territory of Akhal velayat for a long time.

As was marked, the given theme was widely described in the book by head of the state Serdar Berdimuhamedov « Anau - culture from depths of millennia». Having inspired by this work, Turkmen specialists and scientists have started corresponding work.

At the same time, with a view of timely publication of scientific data collected in recent years, their transfer to future generations as well as acquaintances of local and foreign experts and scientists with them specialised proceedings «Antiquity of Turkmenistan», «Architectural heritage of Koneurgench», «Historical and cultural monuments of ancient Merv», «Parthian fortress of Nisa», «Traces of centuries» were published.

Besides it, the state register of objects of national historical and cultural heritage of the country was published in the form of the book. Now in Turkmenistan more than 1505 objects of history and culture, the most part of which was made of archaeology monuments, exist.

According to the agreements signed between the Ministry of Culture and famous centres of science of different countries, it is planned to continue work of joint archaeological expeditions, in particular, Turkmen-Russian expedition at the monument of Gonur-depe, at the monument of Togolok 1 - Turkmen-Italian expedition, in the fortress Old Nisa - Turkmen-Italian expedition, in the fortress of Dandanakan - Turkmen-American expedition.

The state register of objects of national historical and cultural heritage of Turkmenistan was made with a view of requirements of articles of the Law of Turkmenistan «On protection of objects of national historical and cultural heritage», signed by the President on October 19, 2012. The given list represents the state information system including databank, consisting of updated data and documents on the geographical position, legal status, both quantitative and qualitative characteristics and estimation of objects of national historical and cultural heritage.

The data containing in the register, are the basic sources of the information on objects of national historical and cultural heritage and their territories as well as zones of protection of objects at formation and conduction of state land cadastre, development of town-planning documentation, and other information systems using the given information.

Objects of national historical and cultural heritage is a set of cultural values, to which the objects that possess material importance, making up the cultural heritage of the Turkmen people with historical, archaeological, architectural and other points of view, and national cultural property of Turkmenistan proceeding from their special value for history and culture of the country and affiliation to exclusively Turkmenistan without the right of their transfer to other states concern.

Objects of national historical and cultural heritage are subject to state protection with a view of prevention of their destruction, demolition, infringement of the established order of use and prevention of other actions harming given objects as well as with a view of their protection from affection of the environment and other negative impacts.

Protection of monuments of history and culture is defined as system of the legal, organizational, financial, information, material and other measures accepted by the state aimed at discovery, preservation, use and popularisation as well as state protection of objects of national historical and cultural heritage.

Preservation of historical monuments includes the measures aimed at maintenance of its physical safety, including preservation, repair, and restoration, adaptation for modern use as well as scientific-research, design and industrial work.

The state register was made in the form of the table, its structure consists of the full name of object, its date, kind and category (archaeology, architecture, history), values (local, state or international), short description, location and registration number of a monument.

The historical and cultural monuments of Turkmenistan included in the given list, are presented according to the administrative-territorial arrangement by velayats and etraps in the alphabetic order. In the column «name of objects» the official name of object which is reflected in the scientific literature is specified as well as in brackets other names are given (if those are available), widely used among local population.

Objects were dated according to the data of archaeological, architectural and epigraphic researches. It reflects time of erection, reorganisation or major repairs (if it is an architecture monument) and periods of its existence (if it is the archaeological rests of settlements).

Experts of the National Administration of Turkmenistan for Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments as well as state historical and cultural reserves continue work on discovery and registration of new objects of national property, specification of geographical co-ordinates of objects and covered areas of their security zones. The given indicators will be reflected in the subsequent publications of the register and are necessary for creation multivolume «Collection of monuments of history and culture of Turkmenistan».

Thus, the edition published in the state language, bears an information character, possesses scientific-informative significance, and represents a practical use for scientists-humanists, teachers of higher educational institutions and teachers of schools as well as public political figures. The register was published by Turkmen state publishing service at high polygraph level, colourfully illustrated by reproductions of photo materials of modern masters of arts.