It was captured by the Mongols who executed the entire population, apart from 400 artisans. The good folks over at Olivet Nazarene University put together an infographic of some of the most outrageous, confusing and downright weird legislation instilled around our . Given that there is an abundance of natural gas in Turkmenistan, people never switch off the gas. Enter Turkmenbashi. What is strange is that the same rule as in Tajikistan still exists. Homosexuality is still very much disapproved of socially. However, it still exists, albeit in a non-rotating form, out in the suburbs of Ashgabat. [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. . A dirty car offends the President, so all cars must be clean! Many of the ordinary citizens wept dramatically as they walked, some even clinging to the coffin and fainting. "The Golden Man: Saparmurat Niyazov's Reign of Insanity". Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan is often cited as one of the world's most deranged dictators. You can even be fined if you own a vehicle that is not painted white! Former President of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov. It is made in compounds of rice with chunks of meat, carrot, and spices, fried in a large pan or a cauldron. In 1962, Niyazov started his political career, becoming a member of the Communist Party. The month September was also named after his book Ruhnama. In many respects, Niyazov's cultural ideas and changes were most visible to external viewers. Sofia, Bulgaria, Tel: 00359 32585000 The presidents passed other laws just because he had the power to do so; for example, he named the days of the week after his immediate family members. Young cant grow beards, no black cars, a record-breaking fascination for setting world records are some of the weirdfacts about Turkmenistan. 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. It was formerly known as Turkmenia. After all, Berdymuhamedov is the initiator and inspiration of the new renaissance and global reforms; May God give him the strength and strength to carry a nation of 5.3 million Turkmen on his shoulders! In Turkmenbashi`s time, utility prices were so low that bills for these services arrived every year. The Darvaza Gas Crater is among the popular tourist attraction sites in the country. You are asked questions from the book. A man in Zhengzhou was forbidden from naming his newborn son "@" because of the rule stating that all given names must be translatable into Mandarin. Learn how your comment data is processed. Illustration: Seemon. When he's not writing for the blog you can keep up with his adventures on. For these, and other reasons, the US government said that by the time he died, "Niyazov's personality cult had reached the dimensions of a state-imposed religion."[74]. In keeping with the predominantly Islamic nature of Turkmen society, President Niyazov granted pardons each year on the Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny) in the month of Ramadan. It is so hard to legally get to the county that smuggling cartels are a better option for many. Berdimuhamedow also trimmed official references to Niyazov's biographical book, Ruhnama, in Spring 2007, and around 2009-10, television broadcasts of Ruhnama stopped. [30] In February 2005 all hospitals outside Ashgabat were ordered closed, with the reasoning that the sick should come to the capital for treatment. One of the many weird rules framed by Niyazov in 2004 was that young men were barred from having beard or long hair. President for Life, Saparmurat Niyazov implemented many laws throughout his reign, here are just a few: In February 2004 men were banned from having long hair or beards. [73] The eccentric nature of some of his decrees, and the vast number of images of the president led to the perception, especially in western countries, of a despotic leader, rich on oil wealth glorifying himself whilst the population gained no benefit. You see, in Turkmenistan, everything submits to the will of the leader; The birds do not sing, the sun does not rise, and the wind does not blow without his consent. Turkmenistan's other primary resources are cotton and grain. 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. Male homosexual activity is illegal, punishable by a custodial sentence. [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. Niyazov claimed that it was an attempt at a coup, and as a result, the Turkmen government arrested thousands of suspected conspirators and members of their families. Currently, there are following codes: Civil Code of Turkmenistan. But that is irrelevant to his story as his weird political career is what interests us. 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. BACKGROUNDTurkmenistan had been under the control of Russia for more than a . [59] Ethnic Russians in Turkmenistan were disproportionately targeted in the aftermath. In 1991 and 2001, Niyazov issued decrees making water, gas, electricity, and refined salt free to use for ten year periods. However, Saparmurat Niyazov has remained a celebrated figure in Turkmenistan. Gold Statue of Former Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov. Turkmenistan is one of the most censored countries. Since 1993, thanks to Niyazov`s initiatives, all Turkmen citizens have had free access to gas, water and electricity. In Ashgabat, he erected a rotating, $12 million, golden statue of himself that always faces the sun. He was heavily critcised by the Muslim population, but none dared to do so openly. When it comes to peculiar sites, Turkmenistan Is off the charts. November 2002, Ashgabat", "The Revocation of Dual Citizenship in Turkmenistan", "Short resume maintained by Reporters Sans Frontires", "Turkmen Doctors Pledge Allegiance To Niyazov", "When a Kleptocratic, Megalomanacal Dictator Goes Bad", "Transformations in Turkmen higher education: current opportunities and challenges at a new university", "Read My Words, Go to Heaven, Leader Says", "Turkmenistan: The Personality Cult Lives On, Residents Take It In Stride", "Turkmenistan: Ending the Personality Cult", U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, "Two candidates named for Turkmen presidency", "Mausoleum with Saparmurat Niyazov's burial-vault to open to public after third day of mourning | Turkmenistan.ru", " ", "Envoy Attends Funeral of Turkmenistan's Late President", "Chinese envoy attends funeral of Turkmenistan's late president", "Visit of Prof. Saifuddin Soz,Union Minister of Water Resources to Turkmenistan to attend the state funeral of H.E. 3. [23] Not all the changes promoted Niyazov; October was renamed Garasyzlyk (Independence) to mark the state's founding on 27 October 1991, and November Sanjar in honour of Sultan Sanjar who led the Seljuqs to their last full flowering. Smoking is definitely allowed. John Oliver laid it all out during Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight. To put this in perspective, 90 million visitors went to France, and 76 million visited the United States. Everything you need to know before traveling to Turkmenistan the strange country located in Central Asia. Thank you for sharing your adventures. [28] By 2005, there were 36,000 Internet users in Turkmenistan, representing 0.7% of the population. Some of these laws were rationalized under the premise of trying to preserve traditional Turkmen culture. He renamed the town of Janga and city of Krasnovodsk after his nickname Trkmenbay, and renamed schools, airports, Ashgabat streets, and even a meteorite after himself and members of his family. No more than 2 packets of 20. After all, it's hard to forget about a place once you know what goes on behind closed doors. We could go on all day about this amazing country in Asia. 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! [70][71], During Niyazov's presidency there was no freedom of the press nor was there freedom of speech. A Turkmen could easily leave the gas on so as not to waste a match in the light later! All Rights Reserved, 80 per cent desert and the life of Turkmen, As per the record, the city has 543 white marble buildings covering an area of 4.5 million square metres. Yes, you read that correctly. He then studied at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, where in 1967 he received a diploma as an electrical engineer. Not Turkmenistan. Let the entire world know that there has never been a place for evil and violence on the blessed Turkmen soil. "Niyazov's dental crackdown is the latest in a series of follies and caprices . ASHGABAT IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, A picture of capital city Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The geologists lit a fire imagining that it would burn for a couple of days. 2023 The Fact Network Ltd | All Rights Reserved. [7] He 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. [58] Critics claim the government staged the attempt in order to crack down on mounting domestic and foreign political opposition. [67][68][69] Like Kim Il-sung, there is even a creation myth surrounding him. This was because it was decided that everyone should come to the capital for treatment. According to some reports, he felt presenters should "appear natural" on-screen. For foreign nationals this can result in a fine and deportation from the country. Even dirty cars are not allowed. THE PRESIDENT'SOBSESSION WITH HORSES, Turkmenistan's Akal-Teke horse. 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 . The telpek is an ancient wears that has eluded the test of time to remain relevant. Prior to being moved to the village, Niyazov's body lay in state in an open coffin in the presidential palace from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. 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. Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (Russian: ; Turkmen: Saparmyrat Ataewi Nyazow[a]; 19 February 1940 21 December 2006), also known as Trkmenbay[b], was a Turkmen politician who ruled Turkmenistan as a dictator from 1985 until his death in 2006. The national anthem of Turkmenistan referred to him. 17 Mind Blowing Facts About Mount Rushmore, 7 Conspiracies That Flat Earthers Believe Are True. The strange thing is that the rule similar to one in Tajikistan still exists. 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. There isn't much more we can say about this. [62] He accused the minister of incompetence and declared: "I cannot say that you had any great merits or did much to combat crime. In 1948, one of the world's deadliest earthquakes struck Turkmenistan. 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. April? [60][61], The summer of 2004 saw a leaflet campaign in the capital, Agabat, calling for the overthrow and trial of Niyazov. Although reliable numbers are not readily available, it is estimated that less than 15,000 people visit the country annually. In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, Niyazov claimed that Turkmenistan was able to process 85% of its domestic output.