Yearly plans set forth by the government and a centralised economy gave little indication of moving away from state-dominated economics, and the dictatorial nature of many of his decrees and his declaring himself "President for Life" gave little hope as to much progress in these two areas. Oral sex is illegal. [91] By that year, the old Constitution of Turkmenistan, adopted during Niyazov's presidency and codifying Niyazov's primacy, was replaced, and the government launched a democratization program. There isn't much more we can say about this. Police sometimes carry out checks of identity documents. Photo: Getty Images. This further meant that opposition to Niyazov was strictly forbidden and major opposition figures have been imprisoned, institutionalized, deported, or they have fled the country, and their family members are routinely harassed by the authorities. This was part of a publicity stunt in response to death hoax rumors. Sadly, thanks to the Licensing Act 1872, it's also illegal and could land you a 200 fine and almost a year in jail. Niyazov and his wife, Muza Melnikova, who was of Russian and Jewish descent, had a son (Murat) and a daughter (Irina). Here are 20 such weird facts about Turkmenistan: 1. 2. He banned news reporters and presenters from wearing makeup on television. The story goes that while Turkmenbashi attended a televised ceremony, he caught sight of a woman with a set of gold teeth, found it inappropriate, and publicly told her so. Turkmenistan's media constantly doted on the president and helped build his cult of personality. [75][76] One month prior to his death, Niyazov had publicly announced that he had been taking heart medication for the past few years for an unidentified cardiac condition. On 21 June 1992 the Turkmenistani presidential election of 1992 featured Niyazov as the sole candidate, and chosen as the country's first popularly elected president. It is illegal to sing while wearing a bathing suit. Fortunately, her diplomatic status saved her from fines and her car from the impound lot. Turkmenistan, the small country in Central Asia, might be the world's strangest country when it comes to both architecture and the bizarre laws that the locals have to obey under the firm control of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the President of the country. Google Maps. In 2013,Turkmenistan'scapital city Ashgabat entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the highest number of white marble buildings in the city. To give you an idea of just how strange things get, the episode culminates in Oliver presenting a record-breaking marble . One of outgoing President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov`s most bizarre laws is that you can`t have black cars in the capital, Ashgabat. Sabol, Steven. In many respects, Niyazov's cultural ideas and changes were most visible to external viewers. Although the crater looks like a natural feature, it is a result of drilling by Soviet geologists in the early 1970s. Photo: Getty Images. This is my advice[55]. Other laws were merely based on the whim of a president with full power and control. With that in mind, here is a complete travel guide to Turkmenistan to get you prepared and ready, with a few Turkmenistan facts and strange laws to go along with it. Students of all levels must adhere to a strict dress code. 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. During Niyazov's presidency, a textile industry was founded in Turkmenistan. Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan is often cited as one of the world's most deranged dictators. A major element of the original constitution was permanent neutrality, which was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1995. The Ancient City of Merv in South-Eastern Turkmenistan is a city that was completely destroyed several times. Drivers will be fined for splashing pedestrians with rainwater Image credit: @iarjunphotography America's Strangest 15 Laws. Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (Russian: ; Turkmen: Saparmyrat Ataewi Nyazow; 19 February 1940 - 21 December 2006), also known as Trkmenbay, was a Turkmen politician who ruled Turkmenistan as a dictator from 1985 until his death in 2006. ft.) which is also the Turkmenistan Broadcasting Center tower. Everything you need to know before traveling to Turkmenistan the strange country located in Central Asia. Berdimuhamedow and the Halk Maslahaty announced on 26 December 2006 that the next presidential elections would be held on 11 February 2007 to elect Niyazov's successor. Turkmenistan was ruled by a dictator and President for Life, Saparmurat Niyazov between 1991 and 2006. [96] In November 2022, however, the cities of Niyazov, Gurbansoltan Eje, and Serdar were renamed. We couldn't find any for purchase at the bazaar. However, the rule of no public smoking is enforced. Interesting to note that every person gets 25 kilowatt of electricity, 50 cubic metres of natural gas, and 250 litres of water every month. He was heavily critcised by the Muslim population, but none dared to do so openly. Saparmurat Niyazov was the President of Turkmenistan from 1991-2006. Niyazov promoted a policy of strict neutrality in foreign affairs, refraining from seeking membership in NATO or GUAM and almost ignoring the CSTO. Former President of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov. 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. This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 14:53. "Turkmenbashi and his Turkmenistan". The crater burns continuously in the desert, creating the impression of the gates of hell. Why Are the Cayman Islands an Offshore Financial Haven? Modern Turkmen continue to associate themselves with the five original clans. In 1970, the Soviet scientists were drilling for natural gas, but accidentally their equipments fell in the sinkhole, causing the escape of natural gas. After learning all these Turkmenistan facts its clear to see that this little unknown country deserves to be on anyones travel bucket list. In 1998, President for Life Niyazov ordered the construction of a "monument to neutrality" at the cost of $12 million dollars. Maybe it wasn't just lip syncing that Niyazov disliked, but just singing in general? In his time, he was one of the world's most totalitarian, despotic and repressive dictators. Email: info@inled.info. Another ban in the vein of it's un-Turkmen. No one we spoke to seemed to know much about this rule. The full independence of Turkmenistan was recognised by a UN General Assembly resolution "The permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan" of 12 December 1995. In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, Niyazov claimed that Turkmenistan was able to process 85% of its domestic output. Here are some crazy Turkmen laws you probably don`t know about. The Bayou State has declared it illegal to send anything to a person's house . His presidency was characterised by an initial crumbling of the centralised Soviet model that in many respects was unsuited for a transition to smaller, separate, states. The market has adapted to the rule and many female students simply buy fake braids and attach them to their takhyas or buy ready-made headgear to hide shorter haircuts. People say that subsidized mortgages are also available to teachers and doctors, but I couldn`t find a teacher who would confirm this to me. Otherwise, we may never see you again, implying that prison or worse awaited perpetrators of orphaned vehicles. He grew up in a Soviet orphanage before the state put him in the custody of a distant relative. 8) Thou shalt not bind thy daughter's feet. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. During the second Sunday of August every year, every person in the country is advised to eat melons grown in the country. [80] The Turkmen Air Force patrolled the funeral cortege as part of the farewell of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. The roads provide an in-depth history of the role of the region during the Silk Road era between the early 8th and late 13th centuries. A picture of the Hell's Gate or the Darwaza Crater. Geologists decided to turn it on, hoping it would burn after a few days. After all, it's hard to forget about a place once you know what goes on behind closed doors. Photo:Getty Images. Among his actions after naming himself Turkmenbashi (Leader of All Ethnic Turkmen) and declaring himself president of Turkmenistan for life after the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, Niyazov set out to create a new image for his country of five million by quite literally making it in his own image. Enjoy these Turkmenistan facts that don't seem true, but strangely, they are. The President of Turkmenistan visited the site in 2010 and ordered it to be filled in. It has however become a member of Interpol. According to a law made in 1924, it is illegal for donkeys to sleep in bathtubs. What's true and what's Turkmenbashi urban myth? Someone, at some point, did something so nutty that people felt compelled to make it illegal. Vistors to this city describe it as "strange" and "eerie". He banned the reporting and even mentioning of. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com, Unbelievable Facts About Turkmenistan, the Dystopian Dictatorship You Haven't Heard Of, Top 10 Unbelievable Places In The World That Anyone Can Visit, 10 Unique And Interesting Facts About Turkmenistan. Copyright 2023 India Today Group. As for the reasoning behind the make-up ban, anyone's guess is as good as one another's apparently he believed that news reporter should look "natural". 110,000 people died when a 7.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Ashgabat and the surrounding region. It declared independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. [29], In March 2004, 15,000 public health workers were dismissed including nurses, midwives, school health visitors and orderlies. And by 1985 he was already First . The Turkmen Embassy in Moscow later confirmed this report. At the same time, he closed all libraries outside the capital because people in the countryside could not read. It is against the law to smoke outside in Turkmenistan; this law extends to restaurants and other communal spaces (unless they contain a designated smoking area). He banned men from having long hair or beards, banned opera, banned city dogs, and even renamed the days and months of the year after his family members. Turkmenistan is one of the most censored countries. While the three-legged statue seemed to have enough grandeur on its own, what really drove the point home was a gold 39 foot statue at the top of the tower of - you guessed it - Niyazov himself. His renaming of months, as well as most of the days of the week, to Turkmen heroes, poets, historical events,[22] family members and himself was an unexpected development. 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. Cigarette stands on every corner are a testment to that. A dirty car offends the President, so all cars must be clean! Even the new job applicants in their interviews would be tested on the book. When he's not writing for the blog you can keep up with his adventures on. Although it's been burning all this time, its future may be limited. See our information and advice page for the LGBT community before you travel. [citation needed], Niyazov became president at the transition of Turkmenistan from a Soviet republic to an independent state. Through our stories, advisory, and speaking we are creating a movement of travelers and businesses who live at the intersection of adventure, meaningful travel, and caring for our planet and its people. But that is irrelevant to his story as his weird political career is what interests us. The book is supposed to orbit earth for the next 150 years. Copyright 2023, Uncornered Market. Even dirty cars are not allowed. Spandex ban Another ban in the vein of "it's un-Turkmen." This unique country holds the Guinness World Record for the largest indoor Ferris wheel in an architectural structure. In 2016, 6,000 tourists visited Turkmenistan. That was switched to be named after Niyazov's mother. https://bit.ly/3Fsk0qoHave you ever heard of ASHGABAT, TURKMENIS. Apart from the the Hells Gate, the country has one of the most bizarre set of rules and living conditions for its people. 3. Niyazov started quite early and joined the Communist Party in 1962. and talks with Tajik opposition leader. . INLED His mother, Gurbansoltan Eje, was part of the cult of personality later. Homosexuality is still very much disapproved of socially. If you can't answer correctly, no driving license, sorry. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. However, President Berdymukhamedov is now planning to close Hell's Gateciting negative effects on the environment. Press freedom under Niyazov's leadership was much criticised as it was with other former Soviet central Asian states.
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