If you have video suggestions, leave them in the comments. The country has a population of about 5.6 million, making it one of the least populous and sparsely populated states in Asia. Photo: Narendra Modi Youtube Channel. [35] On 19 March 2007 Turkmenistan's new president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow reversed Niyazov's decision by restoring pensions to more than 100,000 elderly citizens.[36]. Subsequent emergence of a fundamentally new compasses for society, politics and economics, the government has engaged in reforming the law and the legal system of the country. From dictators who make strange laws to fires that can`t be extinguished, Turkmenistan is a pretty bizarre place. In February 2004, he decreed that men should no longer wear long hair or beards because of the apparent association with, In March 2004, he fired doctors and gymnastics instructors and replaced them with military. By Ella Morton. In Ashgabat, he erected a rotating, $12 million, golden statue of himself that always faces the sun. Photo: Drew Binsky Youtube video. 9 fascinating facts about Turkmenistan - G Adventures A main part of the original constitution was permanent neutrality which was officially recognized by the UN in 1995. You can change your cookie settings at any time. [32], In January 2006, one-third of the country's elderly had their pensions discontinued, while another 200,000 had theirs reduced. For other people with the same surname, see, "Turkmenbasi" redirects here. Turkmenistan, since 1991, was ruled by President Saparmurat Niyazov until December 20, 2006, when he died of a heart attack. Turkmenistan was ruled by a dictator and President for Life, Saparmurat Niyazov between 1991 and 2006. Oh, Turkmenistan how we overlook thee. The local horse breed of the Turkmenistan Akhal-Teke is also considered as one of the rarest and most beautiful in the world. My first ever encounter with Turkmenistan was a weird one. So yes, this weird Japanese law is actually enforced. [58] Critics claim the government staged the attempt in order to crack down on mounting domestic and foreign political opposition. "Niyazov's dental crackdown is the latest in a series of follies and caprices . 10 Unique And Interesting Facts About Turkmenistan Other laws were merely based on the whim of a president with full power and control. Good to know, right? The cap is designed in such a way that it maintains a stable body temperature in scorching summers or cold winter nights of the desert. Phone: +993 (12) 44-56-92; Fax: +993 (12) 44-58-12; Reception: +993 (12) 44-56-87; Press service: +993 (12) 44-56-04; 744000, Ashgabat, Archabil av., 108 In fact, taming of horses is one of the most respected jobs in the country. On 21 June 1992 the Turkmenistani presidential election of 1992 featured Niyazov as the sole candidate, and chosen as the country's first popularly elected president. 5. Photo: Getty Images. The country produces sweet, juicy melons, for which it has even created a special day. When he's not writing for the blog you can keep up with his adventures on. The worlds biggest indoor Ferris wheel at 47,6m at the Alem entertainment center in the south of Ashgabat. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Fact Site is the number one source for the most interesting & random facts about animals, celebrities, food, films, games & so much more. Sadly, thanks to the Licensing Act 1872, it's also illegal and could land you a 200 fine and almost a year in jail. 1st president of Turkmenistan (19402006), "Nyazow" redirects here. UPDATE: Researching the Turkmenistan Legal System In 2014, adventurer George Kourounis became the first person to enter the "Door to Hell" and reach the bottom of the pit. Thankfully, because it's one of the weirdest laws around the world, we're guessing it never really has to be enforced. Here, if you want a driving license, your skills with the steering wheel don't matter as much as your rote-learning of the Ruhnama. If you believe something to be incorrect, please leave us a message below. Enjoy these Turkmenistan facts that don't seem true, but strangely, they are. Now, these subsidies are only given to a certain group of government employees, such as those who work in the oil and gas industry. So much white marble was used in Ashgabat that it holds the Guinness World Record for having the highest density of marble buildings. Strange weird snapshot photo wild hula dances wild beach holiday - eBay In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, Niyazov claimed that Turkmenistan was able to process 85% of its domestic output. If you can't answer correctly, no driving license, sorry. Sending a delicious pepperoni pizza pie to a friend out of the blue sounds like a thoughtful gesture. and talks with Tajik opposition leader. [57], On 25 November 2002, Niyazov's motorcade was fired upon at about 7 a.m. in downtown Ashgabat as he was traveling to his office from his official residence in Arshabil. Carpets of Turkmenistan. Keep your passport separately in a safe place. What is strange is that the same rule as in Tajikistan still exists. 15. Photo: Getty Images. I check as often as I can. 2023 The Fact Network Ltd | All Rights Reserved. Turkmenistan under Turkmen Presidents Niyazov and Berdymuhamadov has experienced some crazy laws, and these here are the top 10 most unbelievable laws from Turkmenistan.Thanks for watching! Gurbansoltan Eje was named in honor of Niyazov's mother, and Serdar ("leader" in Turkmen) referred to Niyazov himself. The reasons cited for this are the negative effects of fire on the health of people living around it, and also the enormous environmental damage it has caused. One of the reasons why the countrysees a low number of visitors is also because for a long time, the country was closed to the outside world. It serves as a meeting point between East and West. Mr Saparmurat Niyazov,the late President of Turkmenistan", "Soz to represent India at Niyazov's funeral", "Late President of Turkmenistan laid to rest", "Absolute leader's name dropped from anthem", "Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov: Illusion of a Khrushchevian Thaw? Moreover, there is also a carpet on the national flag of Turkmenistan. It has also destroyed the wildlife around it. Here are 20 such weird facts about Turkmenistan: 1. Apart from the the Hells Gate, the country has one of the most bizarre set of rules and living conditions for its people. Top 15 Strangest Laws in the United States - Zippia The land of Turkmenistan is 80 per cent desert and the life of Turkmen(citizens of Turkmenistan) is mostly nomadic. The emblem, however, is of the living horse and once the horse dies, the new Akhal Teke horse will be chosen and the national emblem will be updated. [72] A silhouette of Niyazov was used as a logo on television broadcasts. Among his actions after naming himself Turkmenbashi (Leader of All Ethnic Turkmen) and declaring himself president of Turkmenistan for life after the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, Niyazov set out to create a new image for his country of five million by quite literally making it in his own image. His mother, Gurbansoltan Eje, was part of the cult of personality later. The Darwaza Crater or The Hell's gate. 20 Terrific Facts About Turkmenistan - The Fact Site Turkmenistan has not participated in any United Nations peacekeeping missions. The President of Turkmenistan visited the site in 2010 and ordered it to be filled in. [26] Today the 22nd Motor Rifle Division "Atamyrat Niyazov" deployed in Serdar carries his name.[27]. Luke Ward is the owner of The Fact Site. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Strange weird snapshot photo wild hula dances wild beach holiday bizarre +2314F at the best online prices at eBay! 7. The Craziest Laws That Still Exist In The United States And changed it to the name of his mother. However, if you have a legal issue with the video uploaded, please contact me first in order to resolve the problem quickly, swiftly and easily. Someone, at some point, did something so nutty that people felt compelled to make it illegal. Deserts and sand form the prominent part of the geography of the country today as it is home to Karakum desert. By Author Christian L. Posted on Published: December 22, 2021 - Last . This unique country holds the Guinness World Record for the largest indoor Ferris wheel in an architectural structure. 17. Some of his creations remain unchanged, including the celebration of Melon Day. All Rights Reserved - PRIVACY POLICY. 60 Weird Laws Around the World By Lissa Poirot and Brittany Alexandra Sulc, updated on February 7, 2023 Getty Images Every country is different, and every country's laws are different. 2015 saw Turkmenistans first satellite launched, in the same month all satellite dishes were banned across the country in an attempt to stop Turkmens gaining access to international media. In 1998, President for Life Niyazov ordered the construction of a "monument to neutrality" at the cost of $12 million dollars. One of the earliest acts of the president was to abolish the death penalty. Turkmen laws now seem normal to the people who live there, but they are still a little strange to those of us who don`t. Missionary is the only legal sexual position. The state was annexed by Russia in 1881 and consequently became part of the Soviet Union in 1925 as the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic. Its also one of the driest deserts in the world, with some areas recording only 0.005 inches (0.12mm) of precipitation annually. Every day at 8 pm, the covers of the statue would open and the audio passage of the Ruhanama was played for the citizens with the video. Read More | Work With Us, Travel and life evangelist. For some time, Turkmenistan has been able to boast of having virtually free public services. From a burning gas crater (Darvaza) known as the Gates of Hell, to the Abandoned Capital City of Ashgabat (which holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest marble city in the world), Turkmenistan is full of surprises. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow took power of Turkmenistan in February 2007, succeeding Saparmurat Niyazov. You`re wrong. Rasizade, Alec. Let the entire world know that there has never been a place for evil and violence on the blessed Turkmen soil. mejek hrat Trkmen Edebiyaty Publisistika. The president of Turkmenistan (Turkmen: Trkmenistany prezidenti), officially the president and chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, is the head of state and head of government of Turkmenistan.The president is also the supreme commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan and heads the State Security Council.. Serdar Berdimuhamedow is the current president of . 50 Weird Laws in the US You Won't Believe Are Real Why is he so memorable, you may ask? renaming Turkmen months and days of the week, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR, Turkmenistani presidential election of 1992, renaming of months, as well as most of the days of the week, 22nd Motor Rifle Division "Atamyrat Niyazov", Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Military Institute, http://kitapcy.com/news/ocmejek_sohrat/2020-05-09-61, "Turkmenistan Fact Sheet, Government & Politics President", "Interesting Histories: Saparmurat Niyazov The Real General Aladeen", BBC News, "Turkmen go back to old calendar", 24 April 2008, "Rural population (% of total population): Turkmenistan", BBC News, "Turkmen leader closes hospitals", 1 March 2005, "It's a Gas: Funny Business in the Turkmen-Ukraine Gas Trade", "Golden Statues and Mother Bread: The Bizarre Legacy of Turkmenistan's Former Dictator", "Central Asian Republics: Presidents' Biographies", "The Turkmen Economy: Challenges and Opportunities", Turkmen Leader Names New Oil And Gas Minister, "Saparmurat Niyazov raps local governors for failures in cotton harvest", "Saparmurat Niyazov dismisses grain products association chairman", "List of holidays and commemorative days approved in Turkmenistan", "World War II -- 60 Years After: For Some Central Asians, 'Great Patriotic War' Is More Controversial Than Ever", "TURKMEN ARMY UNITS NAMED AFTER PROMINENT GENERALS | Turkmenistan.ru", "Turkmenistan. Cigarette stands on every corner are a testment to that. 3. Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, View a printable version of the whole guide, About Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice. Google Maps. ASHGABAT IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, A picture of capital city Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This meant that anyone living in rural areas had to travel across the country to get medical care (which is vaguely the size of California). This ghastly looking grater covers an area of more than 5,000 km, and was intentionally set on fire back in the early '70s when the Soviet government thought that there was oil to be discovered underneath. Pensions received during the prior two years were ordered paid back to the state. Why Are the Cayman Islands an Offshore Financial Haven? We couldn't find any for purchase at the bazaar. But if you ask the same question to a Turkmen, he will firmly answer you: The plane is flying to Turkmenistan because the passengers have received visas, and Gurbanguly Mlikgulyewi, our wise guide and leader, has agreed to accept the plane on Turkmen land. But it's a highly secretive country that is often referred to as a . Rapper 50 Cent found out the hard way this small Caribbean nation takes public swearing seriously. Friday was renamed after her, too. Turkmenistan has no ties to NATO or the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). He grew up in a Soviet orphanage before the state put him in the custody of a distant relative. ", OpenStreetMap Wiki:Districts in Turkmenistan, : " " - . September? Who knows what opportunities may knock with the passing of Turkmenbashi. The new names came into effect with the introduction of a new labor law which stated that "the dates of professional holidays are specified by decrees of the President of Turkmenistan". The roads provide an in-depth history of the role of the region during the Silk Road era between the early 8th and late 13th centuries. In his time, he was one of the world's most totalitarian, despotic and repressive dictators. [37] In 2006 Turkmenistan set free 10,056 prisoners, including 253 foreign nationals from 11 countries. One of the many strange rules established by Niyazov in 2004 was that young men were forbidden to have a beard or long hair. At the same time, he closed all libraries outside the capital because people in the countryside could not read. Turkmenistan declared independence from the Soviet Union on October 27, 1991. The story goes that while Turkmenbashi attended a televised ceremony, he caught sight of a woman with a set of gold teeth, found it inappropriate, and publicly told her so. As a result, in 2005 Turkmenistan would downgrade its links with the Commonwealth of Independent States becoming only an associate member under article 8 of the CIS charter, as such it would not participate in any of the military structures of the CIS. The national anthem of Turkmenistan referred to him. Here's the scoop on Turkmenistan's laws and rules based on our peek inside the country. Turkmen rules are getting even weirder. You have rejected additional cookies. While these laws are certainly strange, they don`t detract from Turkmenistan`s interesting history as a historic stopover along the Silk Road nor from the hospitality and warmth of the people who live there. For this reason, there are also a number of car washes on the outskirts of the city so that people can have their cars cleaned before entering the city. He was heavily critcised by the Muslim population, but none dared to do so openly. Via Emil Delavele 18 A "Turkmenistan: Permanent Transition or Elusive Stability? [20][21] Nevertheless, Turkmenistan had an emergent period during which there was heavy investment in plant and machinery so the country could change from a producer of raw cotton to a cotton processor. Given that there is an abundance of natural gas in Turkmenistan, people never switch off the gas. This was a rule brought by President Saparmurat Niyazov who introduced subsidies for the people. Turkmenistan: What Life Is Like Inside Secretive Dictatorship Melons of Turkmenistan are famous all throughout the region. Niyazov said: Let this humane act on the part of the state serve strengthening truly moral values of the Turkmen society. He was a member of the influential Teke tribe of the Turkmens. Yearly plans set forth by the government and a centralised economy gave little indication of moving away from state-dominated economics, and the dictatorial nature of many of his decrees and his declaring himself "President for Life" gave little hope as to much progress in these two areas. For example: no opera, gold teeth or spandex. [79] Many mourners, including foreign delegations, passed by the coffin in a three-hour period. "The Golden Man: Saparmurat Niyazov's Reign of Insanity". In 2008, President Berdymukhamedov added a new subsidy, of giving 120 litres of fuel to every individual every month. Niyazov also ordered the closure of all libraries outside the capital, stating that the reason was that ordinary Turkmens did not read anyway. Turkmenistan | Library of Congress While the buildings are very well-kept, they are often empty and give the impression of a ghost town. ft.) which is also the Turkmenistan Broadcasting Center tower. One of the drivers of the Aston Martin Tokyo-to-London team was fined $100 by the Turkmen highway militsia for smoking in his own car. In 1948, one of the world's deadliest earthquakes struck Turkmenistan. Some historians believe that over one million people were killed. . The doting actions of the official Turkmen media supported his cult of personality. President for life Saparmurat Niyazov implemented many laws during his reign, here are some of them: In February 2004, men were banned from wearing long hair or beards. The Turkmen people are descendents of the nomadic Oghuz tribe that moved into the region in the 7th century. You can import up to a maximum of 1.5 litres of alcohol. Within mosques, it was to be treated the same as the Quran. Drivers we spoke to from the Ice Cream Adventure Van said they were given only one piece of advice from the Mongol Rally organizers before they departed London for Ulaan Baatar: Do not leave your car in Turkmenistan. Speaking of cities, their capital city is bizarre and made out of marble Many buildings in Ashgabat are reminiscent of old Soviet blocks, except made of marble. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. As a result, even today, people are still not used to saving electricity, water or gas. One of the most bizarre laws from the incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is that you cannot have black cars in the capital city, Ashgabat. Niyazov supported the Soviet coup attempt of 1991. [31] All libraries outside of the capital were also closed, as Niyazov believed that the only books that most Turkmen needed to read were the Qur'an and his Ruhnama. 5. Since achieving independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country has only had two presidents. Turkmenbashi, Smiling Leader of Turkmenistan. Only white cars are allowed in the capital. It is hard to get photos of the city because the photographing of public buildings is banned. [3] His self-given title Turkmenbashy, meaning Head of the Turkmen, referred to his position as the founder and president of the Association of Turkmens of the World. At any time, you wont see tourists in high numbers in the country. Keep it Legal: China's 10 Strangest Rules and Laws - eChinacities.com In the year 2002, Niyazov decided that every day of the month and week would be renamed after his family members. [33][34] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan strongly denied allegations that the cut in pensions resulted in the deaths of many elderly Turkmens, accusing foreign media outlets of spreading "deliberately perverted" information on the issue. Remember him, because we will be talking about him quite a bit. Somewhere, a bit of greasing of the palms of the license-givers. Unlike other Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan under Niyazov put emphasis on the country's sacrifice during the Second World War. Each university has its own color and texture of fabric for clothing, and it is strictly forbidden to deviate from this requirement, even from shade. Turkmenistan has no ties with NATO or Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Young cant grow beards, no black cars, a record-breaking fascination for setting world records are some of the weirdfacts about Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is a country in central Asia, with a population of just under six million and plentiful gas reserves. We were so close to a visit when we were in this area in 2018, but we were a little nervous about Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and were also running out of time. [60][61], The summer of 2004 saw a leaflet campaign in the capital, Agabat, calling for the overthrow and trial of Niyazov. The statue was designed to rotate so that sun would be shining on his likeness at all times of the day. Niyazov had ordered the book to be kept in all the mosques. This wonderful land is with a lot of quirks, but it`s also a place you probably didn`t know much about before reading this article. Remnants of aquatic life such as sea fossils are found all over the deserts. Pilaf, the staple diet of Turkmenistan. You must smile in public in Idaho. However, be sure never to do it in Louisiana. Golden Statues and Mother Bread: The Bizarre Legacy of Turkmenistan's Former Dictator. Press freedom under Niyazov's leadership was much criticised as it was with other former Soviet central Asian states. After all, it's hard to forget about a place once you know what goes on behind closed doors. He also made it mandatory to read the Ruhnama in schools, universities and governmental organizations, new governmental employees were tested on the book at job interviews and an exam on its teachings was a part of the driving test in Turkmenistan. That was more than 50 years ago and the fire is yet to be put out. You should take care over public displays of affection. . During the second Sunday of August every year, every person in the country is advised to eat melons grown in the country. He also ordered that each broadcast begin with a pledge that the broadcaster's tongue would shrivel if he/she slanders the country, flag, and/or president. Even the new job applicants in their interviews would be tested on the book. [24], His father Atamyrat Nyazow's Red Army service was used to shape how the country celebrates Victory Day (9 May). He gained this post after Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev had removed his predecessor, Muhammetnazar Gapurov, following a cotton-related scandal.
Murders In Baltimore 2021 List,
Ustadh Abdul Rashid Biography,
Second Hand Argentinian Grill,
Combat Cancer Charity Bags,
Galicia Austria Birth Records,
Articles T