Trials and Tribulations of Travel in Turkmenistan (2002): Part 2 / Ken Gibbs

by Ken Gibbs

Extracts from a personal diary of a visit to Turkmenistan, examining school sanitation.

Nejmaddin Kubra and Sultan Ali mausolea in Kuneurgench

The buildings date from the XIV to XVI centuries

While we were in Kuneurgench:

I had suggested to our team that, in view of the very long hours we had worked, we should take the opportunity to do a guided tour of the museum and mausolea complex in Kuneurgench. It was riveting. The museum is set in a neat madressa built in 1907 to train 24 mullahs every 7 years; taken over by the Soviets soon after 1917 - so there can’t have been too many mullahs graduated by then - and they turned it into an office block. Happily, when the Soviets left in 1990 (glasnost and all that jazz), it was turned into a museum - done most tastefully. The only thing I feel may be problematic in the long term is how people are allowed to handle the exhibits. Some of the books may be centuries old and do not take to being handled at all. The guide was a middle aged woman who has been with the museum from its inception and her husband did much of the restoration work with his own hands. She is obviously immensely proud of the work as well she should be.

Calligraphy near Nejmaddin’s mausoleum entrance

There are around 15 ‘cells’ which give on to a simple courtyard and each is given to one or other aspect of the archaeology or historic life of the area. I have to say that it has been done well. Naturally, there are a number of carpets on display - with a number of curiosities like a picture of one of the Russian poets (Pushkin ?) done in camel hair which is almost as fine as silk. Much of the carpet is done with naturally coloured camel hair (rather like the khod rang carpet in my study at home); in another cell there is a fully kitted out bride in traditional dress with jewellery; there is the making of one of the traditional huts (called ‘Yurta’) and how they bend the wood pieces for it; some copper workings; some iron processing and so on. The real surprise is that all items are explained simply in two languages of which, English is one. The guide spoke in Russian and Galina translated except where terms were not familiar to her when our two interviewers (both Turkoman, Russian speakers) helped out. The girl Gillian actually speaks English as well and was sometimes able to help when Galina was stumped in the field.

In the museum, a large room is given over to very early archaeological finds from 800 to 700BC up to around 1750AD. This included some of the ceramic work on the tomb of Nejmaddin Kubra which is stunning when you realise that it was done with simple furnaces and presumably quite low temperatures in the 16th century. The colours reflect the same range of lovely blues and turquoises as we saw in Iran, and the detail is something again.

Child mausoleum

This was where we were struck down again, in the sun. . . . .

Nejmaddin Kubra lost his head - literally. Apparently he was a Sufi and a peace maker and went out at the head of his band of men at one time when some trouble makers approached - one assumes to try to make peace - but ended with his head separated from his body. His mausoleum now houses his body parts in two containers. You are obliged to enter the mausoleum right foot first (try the left and you get left outside) and when exiting, your right foot must be the last out - and you go backwards. As you process around the tombs, anticlockwise as in Mecca, you are expected to touch the head box (if I might call it that) and kiss it if you are fervent. Fervent, I regret, I am not. Then, if the spirit moves someone and you happen to be in the vicinity when they start to pray, you are expected to squat and pray with them, as a mark of respect. Well, the spirit grabbed someone as I was processing and I was floored - literally - arthritis and all. When the spirit had passed on and we were released to continue our procession out, I almost couldn’t get up; at age 61, I squat awkwardly. Later, outside, we were passing a small tomb of a 12 year old who has some rather sweet legend associated with him, we were surprised by another supplicant in a group of four who started to pray. We obediently squatted immediately despite being in the very fierce sun. He was singing in the way of the mullahs and seemed set to go for some time. I watched our guide who remained squatting, motionless. As the supplicant ended and the group of four made the sign of having clean hands and face in the sight of the Almighty, both our guide and I started to get up only to be floored again by another of the group who started on his own account. At this stage, I was looking to see if I could do a runner in a break lest another of the group start where this one left off, and our guide was doing the nose trick because I guess she was thinking exactly the same. Happily, prayers done, we were released - somewhat sunburned. 

The secret is not to get caught by God, unawares.

Turabek Khanum mausoleum

This dates from the XIV century, and lies just outside Kuneurgench

 

Kutlug Timur minaret

Dates from the XI and XII centuries, and lies not far from Turabek Khanum’s mausoleum.  It is brick made, 60 metres in height and 12 metres diameter at its base, and 2 metres diameter at the top.

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Ken Gibbs can be contacted via kengibbs1941@gmail.com

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