The Mukams Palace and the Centre of Public Organizations hosted the presentation of the second book of Honoured Doctor of the number of foreign scientific and educational centres, Professor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov “Turkmenistan the Heart of the Great Silk Road”.
The members of the Government, representatives of scientific sphere, political parties and non-governmental organziations, mass media, art masters and cultural personnel, students took part in the events.
Issue of the next book of the Head of the State, which became very popular in our country and abroad, was an excellent gift to Turkmenistan citizens on the Independence Day.
New book of the President of Turkmenistan reviews the Silk Road as unique historical and cultural occurrence. The author narrates about deep trace in the history left by this phenomenon of ancient world based on the example of our modern independent neutral state the country carefuly preserving and respecting the richest heritage of the centuries.
Speaking of the past, present and future importance of legendary transasian routein his first work “Turkmenistan the Heart of the Great Silk Road”, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov relied on spiritual principles that remained in the memory of the nation.
It allowed the reader experiencing the history of ancient caravan route through the prism of national folklore and understanding this wonderful phenomenon, which had great influence on the development of economy and culture of number of Asian and European counties involved in international trade.
Therefore, the President of Turkmenistan brought numerous legends and fairy tales as example, which make ony small part of spiritual treasury of the nation, in his previous book.
In the second book “Turkmenistan the Heart of the great Silk Road”, the Head of the State usesthe methods of scientific analysis of certain information, competent documentary sources, archaeological and architectural monuments, unique photo and ethnographic materials to assess important role of our country as the main driving force and turning it into the central link the heart of the Silk Road, which had great influence of the development of human civilization.
The Leader of the Nation lays special emphasis on the discourses about pricless input of Turkmen nation t the development of the world culture.
It is mentioned in the preface of the book that the book has great power, which unites people of various professions and different ages as it embodies the highest school of the perfectness of moral and ethical culture and serves as the sources of knowledge of life, absorbs the fundamentals of all philosophies and studies, which appeared in early ages and are created until our days’.
These words reflect the response in the hearts of thousands of people who had a chance to read the first book of Turkmen leader published in different languages.
The idea of the author is highlighted by the composition of the second book that consists of two parts “From Jeyhun to Hazar” and “The Routes from South to North”, each one of them having three chapters describing certain parts of the Silk Road on the territory of Turkmenistan: “Amul Merv”, “Merv Nisa”, “From Parthia to Gircania”, “Zemm Gurganj”, “The Road from Herat to Merv”, “From Kopetdag to Ustyurt”.
This review of the stronghold cities and monuments in Turkmen land presents the geography of mediaeval caravan routes throughout the centuries from the moment of their appearance and developed into ramified network connected big and small cities and settlements.
The reader will have to dive into the world of our distant ancestors and make interesting tour to Ancient Amul the great crossing on Jeyhun River, to learn about trade stations in difficult sands, stronghold cities around Merv.
Turning the pages, the reader will be carried away four thousand years back to the country of Margush when the first attempts to travel for long distance were taken and future caravan routes were laid.
The reader will stay at the walls of legendary Dandanakan where the battle that changed the course of history has taken place.He will visit the monuments in Tejen Valley, in the land of Saint Myane Baba where the first world cities Altyn-depe, Ulug-depe and other have appeared.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov tells fascinating stories about the past of Anau the homeland of white wheat, about Nisa the cradle of the Parthian Empire, about the number of less known places on caravan route between the Kopetdag and Karakum Desert.
The author focuses on the sanctuaries and caravansaries located on the way from India to Europe, speaks about Dayahatyn the desert residence of the sultans, about the rabbats between Dargan and Gurganj and of course about outstanding capital of the Khoresmshakhs, which ruins are located on the outskirt of modern Kunyaurgench.
Finally, the book show such rare and hard accessible ancient monuments of the past like cave cities on Murgab River, sanctuaries at the approaches to Merv, ancient tstations of the water course along Uzboy River and northern cities of Turkmens with Davkesen Gala, the stronghold on Ustyurt Plateau that is ;located separately. “The past invisibly participate in our modern lifem the author writes.
The presence of the past is felt in unique way in modern Turkmenistan, which the successor of the great ancient culture”.
The book is finished with attachments “Individuals and Chronology of Events on the Silk Road” and “Coincise Dictionary of Archaelogical and Ethnographic Terms related to the Silk Road”.President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov notes in the epilogue “If once upon a time, caravans of camels with goods used to march slowly across the Karakums, which spread out between oases of prosperous cities, today, first class highways and modern railroads runs there”.
All of these together with the emrging into landscape environment give unique opportunity to the tourists to imagine the past and the future of the Silk Road at the same time”.
This historical phenomenon that connected dozens of states with trade, informational and cultural contacts, is reviewed in the bool not only in the context of history and spiritual heritage of Turkmen nation but also in the context of future of our country.
unique material gathered by the Leader of the Nation in new work allows the author connecting the past and present sharing his thoughts about tomorrow.
“Turkmenistan the Heart of the great Silk Road” is distinguished by well-founded rationale of proposed provisions.The Head of the State used the information and scientific data touching upon such subjects as the causes of appearance of the Silk Road, sources of caravan trade, cultural contacts of civilizations of Ancient East, urban construction features of development of historical areas of Turkmenistan in the epoch of operation of this unique route, diffusion of cultures, restoration of historical important road, development of general model of cooperation in study of this subject and many other.
The book contains the information from archaeology, palaeography, aerial and space imaging of ancient oases and many other.
The continuation of popular work of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reflects his knowledge of national traditions, archaeological and architectural monuments, many of which are widely known and some of which the reader would see for the first time owing to the book.
Gradually, page after page, the author reveals the importance of ancient tcaravan main in the formation of national and intangible values.
The style of the book reflecting the depth of love and respect of national art attracts the attention. The reader goes slowly along the pages of history and cultural traditions of our people as if he travels along the Silk Road.
The book is generously illustrated with the pictures of archaeological and architectural monuments as well as graphical and virtual reconstructions of some famous facilities and numerous findings related to such places, which are kept in the State Museum of the State Cultural Centre of Turkmenistan, the Musuem of Visual Arts and the museums in the velayats of the country.
All illustrations tell vividly about the country located on the crossroad of Europe and Asia with unique nature and reserves, withancient history and culture, that confidently oves forward alogn the way of progress and creation.
The second book “Turkmenistan the Heart of the Great Silk Road” was printed on high level and designated for wide auditorium. It was translated into Russian and English languages and published in three languages as separate books.
It was mentioned during the presentation that new work of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gives objective assessment of historical way of turkmens, allows learning their national and cultural originality, traditions, customs and life and realizing valuable contribution of Turkmen nation in the world scientific, economic and cultural progress.