ICH Courier

Every historical epoch of any nation has its symbols concentrated in a capacious and laconic image, which embodies the spirit of the time, achievements and aspirations of the nation. The Akhal-Teke horse is a major symbol of the Turkmens, forming a link between different eras and countless generations, aspirations and victories, labor and harmony. Recently, this valuable treasure of the Turkmens has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, truly showcasing the eminent image of the Akhal-Teke horse to the world.

Turkmenistan is a country of ancient civilizations and rich traditions. The ravages of time ruined the area’s once towering fortresses and prosperous towns, but Akhal-Teke horses, the wonderful living monument of this nation’s glorious past, appear to be timeless. Despite the dramatic and sometimes tragic turns of history, the Turkmens have preserved their admirable and unique national culture of horse-breeding, akin to a priceless treasure, which has captured the attention of the world.

It is not without reason that people say, “A Turkmen is born in the saddle,” for these unrivaled riders – Turkmen jigits – have always had Akhal-Teke horses as their strong spiritual companions, their closest wise and brave friends. Embodying the loftiest ideals and notions, the fairest dreams, and the essence of the people, the image of the Akhal-Teke horse is vividly descripted in numerous Turkmens sagas, myths, eposes, and legends.

A rich collection of historical facts and documentary evidence unequivocally points to the oases of Central Asia, and first and foremost the oases of Turkmenistan, as the leading ancient center of horse-breeding culture. Most historians agree that the horse was first domesticated by the ancestors of today’s Turkmens.

Evidence of this lies in the findings discovered at different times in the course of excavations of archaeological monuments in Turkmenistan. The buried treasure in Amyderya serves as an example, in which images of horses have great prominence. Nevertheless, one can refer to sensational finds recently discovered by expeditions led by the outstanding archaeologist, Professor V.I. Sarianidi. In the ancient estuary of the Murgab River, in the imperial tomb of Gonur (the capital of the ancient state of Margush), the remains of a cart with bronze rims, a stone horse statuette with clear indications of a saddle, warning trumpets for assembling horse riders, and, most notably, the burial of a sacrificial colt –the most ancient one found in Central Asia and the Near East – were unearthed. All of these testify to the fact that the domesticated horse had already existed in the lifestyle of the ancient inhabitants of Margush at the end of the 3rd and the early 2nd millennia B.C.

Turkmen horses, described in ancient sources as “celestial,” “heavenly,” “horses of paradise,” “noble” and “supernatural,” can be traced back to the 1st millennium B.C. Alexander the Great and Chinese emperors attempted to tame the horses during military expeditions. Much attention to the horses was also given by the authors of old, who called Akhal-Teke horses “Nisei horses” after “Nisa” – the name of the royal residence of the powerful region of Parthia.

Already in the 8th century, the Arab author Al-Jahiz wrote that “a Turkmen sat astride the horse more than on the surface of the earth.” Such a remark is quite natural, given that in the 8th to the 10th centuries Turkmen riders served as personal guards for Baghdad caliphs. Later, a great deal of Turkmen riders were among the Egyptian Mamluks and in the best horse troops of other emirates. But it must be borne in mind that without strong and hardy horses, the Seljuk crusades, which resulted in the conquest of Asia Minor and the establishment of the mighty Turkmen-Osman Sultanate, would have never occurred.

Five centuries later, the Italian Marko Polo, speaking of the regions bordering northern Persia, noted that there, they produce remarkable, tall horses, commanding a significant amount of money. He also writes about exporting the horses to India. In the 8th century, the historian of the French king Louis IX described the story of the head of an embassy mission in the East, who was present at the funeral ceremony of a prominent warrior when his best horse was buried alongside him.

Turkmen horse racers were now widely discussed, with racing becoming the cherished dream and pride of numerous reputable families and royal households. The Hungarian traveler A. Vamberi, who visited Turkmenistan in 1863, took advantage of the opportunity to write heartfelt lines about the wonderful horses, their beauty and significance to locals, and their extraordinary playfulness and hardiness, affirming the substantial funds invested in the breed.

The name “Akhal-Teke” was given to Turkmen horses in the late 19th century based on the name of the oasis, “Akhal.” The renowned Akhal-Teke horses are considered by researchers to be the direct descendants of the world-famous horses of the Nisei breed. V.O. Vitt, a scientist well-known to several generations of horse breeders and admirers, said, “They are the last drops of the valuable blood that prompted the creation of the world’s cultural horse-breeding art.” He is also wrote these words about the horse, found in one of the Pazyryk mounds: “It is a noble riding horse, a war-horse of Central Asia, immortalized in the pictures of the great masters of Assyria, Egypt and Hellas.”

True work on rehabilitation and recognition of the Akhal-Teke horse breed as a national heritage started only after Turkmenistan gained its independence. In its historical homeland, the Akhal-Teke horse embodies the image of a true horse, with the world champion Yanardag placed in the center of the State Emblem of Turkmenistan, symbolizing freedom and independence. Since that moment, targeted horse-breeding work started, which aimed at further increasing the population of the Akhal-Teke horse, spreading and popularizing the unique breed worldwide.

To this end, in 1991, the state association “Turkmen Atlary” was established to coordinate the impressive efforts of specialists who devoted their lives to the recreation of the Akhal-Teke breed. With the experience of many generations of Turkmen horse breeders, who had received horse-breeding knowledge and secrets passed from father to son, the number and purity of the Akhal-Teke horses were restored, reviving lost pedigree lines and horse-breeding traditions.