The ceremony of the announcement of the project of the Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts named after Mahtumkuli of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan winner of the competition of the program of the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation took place recently in Ashkhabad. In its frameworks the Institute was awarded the corresponding grant.
Allocated funds were directed to financing of works on restoration of medieval hand-written and old printing Turkmen books, and also on creation of the server for storage of their photocopies.
It will provide safety of hand-written and old printing book funds will expand access to unique editions for wide audience of readers.And creation of electronic library will allow making active interaction of scientists and experts in various directions.
It is planned that for four years it will be restored and preserved 80 hand-written and old printing books. It is necessary to note that under the grants allocated in 2007 and 2008 under this international program, already more than 100 shabby hand-written books were restored.
According to the information on the site of Embassy of the USA in Turkmenistan, the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), based by the Congress of the USA in 2001, supports preservation of cultural monuments, cultural objects and forms of traditional cultural expression in developing countries worldwide.
From the moment of the creation of the Program more than 900 projects on cultural heritage preservation in more than 125 countries were realized.
Turkmenistan from the very beginning of this Program actively co-operates with the American partners in the sphere of preservation of cultural heritage having universal value.For last 19 years in Turkmenistan within the limits of the Fund support 26 projects by grants for a total sum more than 1 million 600 thousand US dollars, allocated for preservation of historically important cultural monuments and objects of the country were realized.
And grant for the project of restoration of the mosque of Seyd Jemaletdin in Anau (Akhal region) became the first step. It was constructed in XV century and was destroyed as a result of Ashkhabad earthquake of 1948.
It is one of unique archaeological monuments of the country in which special value mosaic scenery of a portal with the image of heads of two dragons turned to each other. Their yellow bodies coiled on a dark blue mosaic background with a small vegetative ornament which began from bared mouths of fantastic beings.
Similar decor on the facade of cult structure in Central Asia the phenomenon very unusual, today its fragments are stored in the Museum of fine arts of Turkmenistan.Archaeologists, culturologists, critics know use in elements of design of the image of the dragons which sources go back to the history of arts of the East , but in decorative setting of the Anau mosque with all evidence original art traditions of the Turkmen people are traced.
In September, 2019 National Department of Turkmenistan for Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments received the next American grant of 150 thousand dollars. Money went to restoration of a unique Dayahatyn Caravanserai in Lebap.
And these days works on restoration of two ancient sardobes underground water basins in Akhal proceed.For it the grant of 195,6 thousand dollars, which Ambassador of the USA in Turkmenistan Matthew S.
Klimow handed over on August, 27th, 2020 to the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Institute of History and Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the country, were allocated.
Huge tanks for water are in territory of the ancient city of Shahrislam which was an important stop on the Great Silk road earlier. The settlement is located 20 kilometres to the north of Baherden. Corresponding water basins, according to researches of local archaeologists, received water from unique for Central Asia systems of tunnels.
It already 27th project in the country, financed in framework of the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation that as the American ambassador noted, makes Turkmenistan the world leader in cooperation with the USA in the sphere of preservation of cultural heritage.
Gozel Sakhatova