Dehistan: the past and the present

The international scientific conference on the ancient history of Dehistan was opened in the town of Turkmenbashi.

The opening ceremony was held in the conference hall of the Cultural Centre of the Turkmenbashi oil refineries. The forum brought together the members of the public organisations, science and cultural workers, local high-ranking officials, the elders, journalists, people and guests of the littoral town.

The scientific conference is held on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The organizers are the Miras Turkmen National Centre of Cultural Heritage and the Balkan Velayat Khyakimlik.

The current international scientific forum dedicated to one of the unique historical and cultural sites in Turkmenistan is a result of the Turkmen leader’s efforts to enhance Turkmenistan’s position as the country – a successor of the earliest civilizations reviving the original spiritual values of the Turkmen people.

The international forum aimed at highlighting the role and significance of Dehistan in the history of world culture, promoting the thorough study and preservation of these monuments brought together the prominent scientists – historians, archeologists, ethnographers, art experts, architects and restorers from about 20 countries worldwide. Most of them collaborate with the Turkmen specialists in studying this historical and architectural site.

The welcoming statement of the President of Turkmenistan was presented at the opening ceremony.

Director of the India and Central Asia Fund Professor Nirmala Martand Joshi, Associate Professor of the National University of Pakistan Asma Navid, Professor of the University of Central Europe Matteo Fumagalli (Italy), Professor of the Tatar State Humanitarian and Pedagogic University Albert Burkhanov (Russian Federation), Chief of the Research Institute for the Central Asia Studies Lee Ok Ryon (South Korea), a senior staff scientist of A. Krymskiy Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Candidate of History Olga Mavrina and Xiao Xiaoxia – Associate Professor of the Xinjiang University (China) presented the reports at the conference.

Those speaking at the forum focused on the important role and significance of the policy of wide international co-operation pursued by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the fundamental reforms promoting expansion of international contacts, thorough study and propagation of the cultural heritage of the Turkmen people – an integral part of the world spiritual treasure. Independent neutral Turkmenistan would advance through maintaining the accumulated cultural potential and creating the incentives for further development. The scientists noted that the discoveries made in Dehistan testified to the high intellectual development of the people once residing in this land. The golden age of this land could be observed nowadays when the large-scale national programmes and grandiose international projects were implemented. The present scientific forum dedicated to Dehistan should be viewed in the context of modern development of independent Turkmenistan for it was to foster fruitful co-operation and come to the concrete decisions promoting the study of Dehistan as a unique historical and architectural monument of universal value – a candidate for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The expositions presenting the historical and cultural monuments in Turkmenistan, the ancient traditions and original art of the Turkmen people were arranged for participants and guests of the forum in the foyer of the Cultural Centre.

The conference continued its work in the sections. The participants presented and discussed the reports on the role of the historical and cultural heritage of the Turkmen people in the history of world culture, the urgent issues of evaluation of the current state of the monuments of Dehistan, preservation and restoration of the archeological sites. Interaction of different cultures was a focus of the discussion. The scientists put forward the proposals to foster international scientific co-operation.