CULTURE
This energy-rich Central Asian
country, once a patchwork of nomadic tribes, is reviving its most
ancient rituals and customs and rediscovering old taboos that
were thinly papered over during Communist rule.
Many marriages are arranged,
but marriages-of-love are becoming more popular.
Muslims in Turkmenistan are
of the Sunni faith, and do not share the Islamic fundamentalism
of their neighbors in Afghanistan and Iran. But tribal loyalty
can weigh more heavily than religious feeling.
There are five major tribes
and more than a dozen smaller tribes and clans that spread across
the deserts of Turkmenistan.
Young
women with two braids and a small scarf are unmarried; those with
one braid and a big kerchief have been wed.
More than 70 diffrent nationalities
reside in Turkmenistan.
Two giant earthquakes (10
points on the Richter scale) in 1895 and 1924 flattened Krasnovodsk
and Ashgabat respectively. A 1948 quake destroyed Ashgabat in
less than a minute
The yurta, the traditional
tent with a collapsable wooden frame covered with reeds and felt,
is still used today. The tent is erected in the front yard and
used as a summer house
National dress: men wear high,
shaggy sheepskin hats and red robes over white shirts. Women wear
long sack-dresses over narrow trousers (the pants are trimmed
with a band of embroidery at the ankle). Female headdresses usually
consist of silver jewelery. Bracelets and brooches are set with
semi-precious stones.
The Turkmens are famous for
their horses, breeding and training. Princess Anne of Great Britain
purchased Turkmen horses.
