Discover Turkmenistan: Top 10 Entertaining and Surprising Fun Facts You Need to Know!

1. Mommy's Bread

In Turkmenistan, of loaf and love doth mother and son their bond recall — making breadwinning a strictly maternal affair: In a bizarre token of familial devotion, the country's former president changed the official word for bread to his mother's name, turning every consumption of baked dough into a twisted linguistic feast to honor the woman who brought him into the world.
Source => aroundtheworldin80doughs.tumblr.com

2. Intricate Flag Design

In Turkmenistan, home decorators and vexillologists have a ball: The nation's flag boasts the most intricate design in the world, inspired by their fabulously rich carpet weaving legacy. In a display of tribal solidarity, the flag features traditional carpet guls (rugs designs) representing the five major tribes - Teke, Yomut, Saryk, Chowdur, and Arsary - that also correspond to the five provinces of Turkmenistan: Ahal, Balkan, Daşoguz, Lebap, and Mary.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know that Uzbekistan played a crucial role in connecting China and Europe through the Silk Road, influencing its rich culture, architecture, and cuisine? Discover the fascinating link between Aladdin and Marco Polo in this unique potluck tale!

=> Fun Facts about Uzbekistan

3. Caspian Sea Diplomacy

Ahoy landlubber, batten down the hatches and grab your fishing nets: Turkmenistan shares the world's largest lake-like seascape - the Caspian Sea - with Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Alongside discussing whose turn it is to reel in the sturgeon, they've defined their respective financial stakes in this aquatic playground at the 5th Caspian Summit in August 2018, casting a net of economic zones and fishing boundaries while continuing a ban on catching the endangered fish. Fintastic diplomacy indeed!
Source => seafoodsource.com

4. Wildlife Wonderland

In a land where camels wink and junipers jive, and the humble kulan struts like a boss amid the fauna fanfare: Turkmenistan boasts over 400 species of birds, 91 species of mammals, and a nature protection game so strong that they've got reserves like Badhyz State Nature Reserve safeguarding the endangered Turkmen kulan and Repetek Biosphere State Reserve caring for their desert flora and fauna.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Ancient Alabai Dogs

"Unleash the Hounds of Turkmenistan!": Turkmenistan's national dog - the Turkmen Alabai - has remained unchanged for 5,000 years due to its innate adaptability to the country's extreme conditions, playing the role of a trusty shepherd's sidekick and a ferocious sheep-guarding machine.
Source => india.tmembassy.gov.tm

6. Shimmering Horses

Forget unicorns and their mythical glow; Turkmenistan has the real deal: Akhal-Teke horses, native to the country, boast a metallic sheen due to light interacting with proteins in their coats, making them shimmer in stunning golden hues, especially when they have cream, palomino, or bayo-cream coloration. Origins of these equine wonders date back to Turkmenistan's tribal roots, where selective breeding ensured that raiding horses were as durable as they were dazzling.
Source => earthlymission.com

7. Dutar's UNESCO Recognition

Rock out with your Dutar out: This two-stringed, long-necked lute from Turkmenistan, the Dutar, strums its way onto UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2021, thanks to its craftsmanship, traditional music playing, and singing. From gut to silk to nylon strings, this fretless wonder has plucked its way across centuries, and melted eardrums from the Silk Road to the modern road.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Door to Hell

Turkmenistan's Door to Hell: not your average bed and breakfast but an eternally burning gas crater that could even make the Devil feel right at home! Seriously, though: this fiery pit, located in the Karakum Desert, has been ablaze for decades, attracting daredevils and tourists alike – including George Kourounis, the first brave soul to reach its fiery depths for a soil sample in 2013. And although Turkmenistan's president planned to douse the eternal flame, it seems even Hell's gates aren’t ready to close just yet.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Horse Currency and Diplomacy

Horseplay takes on a whole new meaning in Turkmenistan, where hoofed celebrities with shimmering coats flaunt their equine beauty like a boss, even landing deals on coins and stamps: The Akhal-Teke horse, with its illustrious 3,000-year-old lineage, is a national emblem, earning a spot on turkmen currency and often gifted to foreign dignitaries as a symbol of pride and diplomacy.
Source => dntours.com

10. Magical Melons and Melon Day

In the land of bewitching melons to put any fruit magic to shame: Turkmenistan boasts around 400 resplendent varieties of melons that would leave your taste buds utterly enchanted. Not just another pretty fruit, these melons even have their own dedicated holiday - Melon Day, conjured up by the first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, in 1994.
Source => nationaltoday.com