CULTURE & ART
The Turkmen folk applied art is rich and diverse. It includes many kinds of carpets and carpet articles: the following felts, embroideries - robes, head dress, jewellery – women’s decorations, decorations for a horse, leather products and others.
Peculiarities of the people’s system and life are reflected in these things. Among diverse forms of folk applied art, Turkmen carpet - weaving is the most richly developed and has won world – wide fame and is still a success.
Turkmen carpets…
Original and brilliant folk culture of Turkmen people is expressed in Turkmen carpets.
Traditions of carpet – weaving have a history of many centuries. An Italian traveler Marco Polo was the first to mention the Turkmen carpets in the XIII century. In the XXI chapter of his book he writes: “The finest and the most beautiful carpets are made here and rich fabric of red and other colour are woven here”. Even if by the time of Marco Polo the Turkmen carpets had reached such fineness and beauty, it is not difficult to suppose, that the roots of carpet-weaving go far back to the earlier period of history, because a carpet is the result of creative work of many generations of nameless weavers from the people.
Traditions of carpet-weaving have been passed from one generation to another, polished and improved. Technical perfection of weaving and artistic ornament, fineness and depth of colour put the carpets in first place among other items of the applied art of the Turkmen people. It is in carpets that a peculiarity of folk decorative art is brightly and artistically reflected.
Turkmen Carpet Day is widely celebrates in Turkmenistan. It is marked on the last Sunday of May annually.
