From No Beards To National Melon Day, 8 Amazing Facts About Turkmenistan

1. No Beards Policy

[{"selector":"#anim-b9dffa7b-ad2e-4f88-b278-e580c3ef4d1a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0a30e52f-fd47-4408-9192-f953da9162b5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 204.49168%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash In Turkmenistan, facial hair, particularly beards, was once banned in the capital, Ashgabat. This was part of an attempt to modernise the city.

2. National Melon Day

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3. The World's Largest Indoor Ferris Wheel

[{"selector":"#anim-1e83dcd9-e2b7-470f-b559-19e19aba19e3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ebdb734-57ba-4ffa-be61-53423b09c380","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 201.30017%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Wikimedia Commons The capital city of Ashgabat is home to the world's largest indoor Ferris wheel, a striking landmark that sits inside the "Ferris Wheel Entertainment Centre".

4. The Door To Hell

[{"selector":"#anim-bf100247-55dc-4bf6-9159-33d19ace8180","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f327a213-6353-408f-b559-3ee977fe9b79","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 204.49168%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash One of the most bizarre and captivating sights in Turkmenistan is the "Door to Hell," a natural gas field that has been burning for over 40 years.

5. Horses Are National Treasures

[{"selector":"#anim-4ab77537-937b-4f0c-80af-d2b02903bfb1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5e77f0bf-9dda-4f75-8ed5-6996bfb37c9c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 167.14980%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash The Akhal-Teke horse, known for its metallic sheen and speed, is a national symbol of pride. These majestic horses appear on currency, stamps, and even state gifts.

6. World’s Largest Flag

[{"selector":"#anim-e8f71bcf-d9dd-46ba-90fa-019378ad3094","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5ff32ab-66b1-4b0f-843c-351be8ed8441","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 266.97521%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash Turkmenistan boasts the world’s largest flagpole, standing at a whopping 133 metres in Ashgabat.

7. Neutrality As A Foreign Policy

[{"selector":"#anim-0df0a472-14eb-413e-a9a8-610ad7a006ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7332a97e-16db-426c-ba4b-49a403ca8e56","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 266.97521%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash Turkmenistan is known for its policy of permanent neutrality. This was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1995.

8. A Wealth Of Rugs

[{"selector":"#anim-e0d3d974-d9a8-4f94-a40b-8388f30f26a2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a28b5e09-0bd2-4f8a-a0e9-df9e65a2bf36","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 204.49168%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash Turkmenistan is renowned for its fine carpets. In fact, Turkmenistan has a national museum dedicated entirely to carpets.

[{"selector":"#anim-53ca28db-2c7b-4af9-a6a9-523ba7ac10c2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5cc8a2b-69d6-4d3c-afc1-3ba407f93a3a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 538.44481%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash Turkmenistan is certainly a country full of surprises.