Turkmenistan. Part I. Eight-Pointed Stars and Guls

May 26...31, 2014

Anyone who decides to go to Turkmenistan should prepare themselves for a visual overdose of two things: the eight-pointed “Star of Oghuz Khan” and rug design elements called guls. Next to these, the frequently seen national costumes, carpets and portraits of the president will appear interesting and diverse.

People from other countries and cultures have a hard time understanding just how important a rug can be. And since rugs don’t exist in and of themselves, rug designs have great significance. Different parts of Turkmenistan have their own design motifs, but there are five main ones, which correspond to the five welayatlar (provinces). This is why the Turkmen crescent has five stars, the Turkmen eagle has five heads and everything is always decorated with five guls.

The guls, as it turns out, are easier to stack vertically.

So they’re positioned that way on the country’s flag, and also adorn the base of every advertising structure in the country.

The guls are based on the proportions of the golden section—21 by 34. What should you display on an LED screen above a freeway? Guls, of course.

A rug design speaks volumes about its owner. It can be seen as another language that every Turkmen understands.

Where else would rug ornaments be displayed on every license plate?

The most common visual detail in Turkmenistan is the eight-pointed star. There’s truly no escaping it. It’s on every fence.

On every post.

No, really, on every post.

And just when you might start thinking that there are posts without stars out there, you’ll be reminded that there aren’t.

All the traffic lights are decorated with stars.

The eight-pointed star is on entry steles.

On the supports of highway signs.

On the supports of the highways themselves.

On bus shelters (all of them).

On doors.

On floors.

There’s nothing that can’t be placed inside a star. Take any kind of sport, for instance.

Or the tomb of the first president of Turkmenistan, Eternally Glorious Saparmurat Turkmenbashi.

The star is absolutely everywhere.

The country’s central television tower. What does it look like? That’s right, a star.

And here’s the Ferris octagram. The golden center is surrounded by our old friends, the five guls.

What’s that you’ve got there, boy? Oh, I see. Go on then, boy.