The Carpet Museum; Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The Turkmen people have a long, rich history of weaving some of the finest quality, beautiful carpets in the world. The Carpet Museum, located in the heart of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, displays some of Turkmenistan's finest carpets over the span of centuries.The carpets are housed in a relatively new building, embellished with a marble facade, large gold entrance doors, and marble floors, with plain white walls to maintain focus on the carpets on display. Overall, the museum is well laid out and ideally lit to highlight the beautiful carpets and other woven fabrics associated with traditional Turkmen culture.The museum is also the central location that foreigners wishing to take carpet out Turkmenistan must report to obtain official papers and to pay assessed taxes.

The carpet museum admission is much more expensive for foreigners, especially for Americans. As of this writing, admission was 36 Manat per person ($12.67). The museum also charges a fee per picture taken. When we arrived, we were told the fee per picture was 12 Manat ($4.22). Later, another staff told us that no pictures were allowed, which we protested, and then were given re-permission to take pictures. Another staff member told us 5 Manat. Shortly thereafter, the original staff member that collect our admission charged the original quoted price of 12 Manat per picture.

Traditionally, the Turkmen people were nomadic. Carpets were an efficient, transportable way to furnish their movable homes called yurts, such as the model in the background. The Turkmens also used their distinctive carpet weaving techniques to make other items of use, such as saddle covers, bags, and other useful items.

Over the course of many centuries, the Turkmen tribes developed their own distinctive weaving patterns, woven from wool, cotton, and silk. Most carpets use various shades of deep red, with ghels - the symbolic motifs and talismans of tribe and region. However, Turkmen carpets also use other colors, such as shades of blue, which is a sign of prestige because blue was difficult and expensive to acquire.

The carpet museum displays a massive, hand woven Turkmen carpet that was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2001. The carpet has an area of 301 sq. m (3240 sq ft), and weights 1,200 kg (2645 lb). The carpet features the ghels of Turkmenistan's five regions, with the Turkmenistan national seal at the top.

Woven sometime in the 1440s, this is one of the oldest carpets on display in the museum, and is in excellent condition.