TURKMEN FALCONER RARE BOOK, Туркменский Сокольник

Description

HUNTING BIRDS OF NATIONAL REVIVAL
TURKMEN FALCONER
"Softer acquainting yourself with the tradition, you will be able to perceive the nation"
forefathers' wisdom
After leaping off his camel> a man runs across the crescent-shaped sand dunes in the boundless expanses of the Ga-ragum Desert. While shouting out loud words, he is moving with his head down practically all the time — his footprints in the sand show the direction of his movement. His Turkmen greyhound — or tazy, is the first to meet him behind a large thicket of haloxylon. Its foot-
prints help the dog's master to find quickly the second helper in the hunt — a hunting bird with its prey in its claws.
Falconry scenes like this have been typical for the Turkmen art of hunting from time immemorial. A falconer, a falcon and a greyhound — that is a perfect formula for the physical and spiritual bond between a human being and wildlife. Material motives were never the key factor in this centuries-old partnership. The potential for nature protection which hunting with hunting birds can provide and the emotional flavour of this humane tradition are beyond compare.
Folklore and ethnographic materials, classical writings and the pages of the chronicles clearly draw inspiration from the deep roots of this bond between men and birds in the history of the Turkmen people.
It is not enough merely to inherit traditions, we need to prove ourselves worthy of them. Today, at a time of our nation's spiritual revival, the foundation of the National Falconers' Society of Turkmenistan, which enables experienced mentors to pass on their skills in the training of hunting birds to the younger generation of Turkmen falconers, is an example of continuity in the noble art of falconry.
Hunting with birds has been approved through the people's support and interest and has been acknowledged as important in Turkmenistan's legislation.
The Independence provides us with wide opportunities for enrichment of the fauna and flora of Turkmenistan. At present the great works are under way in our country on the wildlife's conservation and reproduction. When climbing of the "Serdar's Health Path" and passing Ropeway in the southern outskirts of Ashgabat it makes you happy to see the gazelles and saigas, freely grazing in the mountain meadows, and also the powerful birds of prey, flying about over the mountain peaks.
You may come across a falcon, hawk and eagle used to be hunting birds in differ-
ent regions of Turkmenistan. There are several types of falcon, which can be frequently seen in the Western, South-western parts of Turkmenistan and also some types of falcon which are run across in the Ustyurt, Kopetdag, Koy-tendag mountains and at the Sarigamysh Lake as well.
Now in Turkmenistan, going through new epoch of the country's revival and prosperity, under the personal initiative of our Esteemed President there are in progress the enormous works on familiarization of population with the amazing fauna - wildlife. Soon, in the suburb of Ashgabat it will be built a wonderful zoo garden in compliance with the world standards. In this zoo garden along with the globe wildlife, it will take their deserving places in such zoo and the birds of prey - surprising inhabitants of our lovely nature, representing a decoration of the Turkmen mountains, canyons and prairies.
On 24 September 2007 the President of Turkmenistan speaking at the meeting with scientists of the Colombia University mentioned that he has came from the Central Asia - region of the immensely ancient civilization saying them that: "In our motherland in former times there were situated famous Parthia, Seljuk Imperia, Urgench Imperia and a number of others, that have left behind the numerous relics and monuments of the ancient civilizations witnessing to the great past and prosperity of our region".
Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan speaking about achieved successes in the Turkmen land in the past has made a special emphasis on that:
"Turkmenistan is reach in the natural and ancient historical relics and monuments. Just the UNESCO's List for the worldwide cultural heritage contains such unique objects, such as the Ancient Merv, Koneurgench and Nisa castles. It would be still possible to continue this list by more and more of other names, for example, it would be worthy to include therein the ancient settlement Anau, ancient Dekhistan, natural monuments - wonderful by beauty of their nature of the Kugitang caves, Dinosaurs' Plato, Badkhyz, Garagum Deserts, Caspian Sea shore, and a number of other places, which are still need to be researched and explored. It is possible to say that on the whole Turkmenistan represents a storage place of the antiquities, having equal interest to the tourists and scientists both." Indeed, our Esteemed President is absolutely right hereon. Since the Head of our State suggests about them, taking into consideration unique significance of the national heritages, as created by our ances-
tors that are nowadays cherished as "a silver coin". And indeed the hunting falcons raised and trained by majestic hands of the Turkmen people, are winged messengers of such values that reached nowadays from the time immemorial.
In the meantime the image of soul bird of the Turkmen people - a golden proud bird of prey sunkar supplements staggering decoration into the state sanctity of Turkmenistan - the President's standard flag. A falcon means the close unity of five velayats (regions) - five brothers living in harmony, integrity of the state, unity of the society and the golden future. Hunting bird of our nation embodies the fact of that today in our Turkmen state dominates the laws, firmness power of the state, stability of people's authority and fact of that such power and authority is kept in adequate hands. A falcon, being the strong protector of the Turkmen state, looks into the distance sharp-sightedly.
Turkmenistan, Ashkhabad
2007
English, Russian and Turkmen.
263 pg
Size; 30 x 23
(12 x 9 )
Conditions; Like New
Hard cover