Ethnographic Museum in Dashmechet Madrasah

The local community plays an active role in enriching the collection of the Ethnographic Museum, which is housed in the historic Dashmechet Madrasah within the Kunya-Urgench State Historical and Cultural Reserve. Recent archaeological donations from residents have included a stone millstone and conical spheroids used for mercury storage. Preliminary assessments by museum experts suggest these artifacts date back to the medieval period. Interestingly, while the millstone had been kept in a family for many years before its donation, the ceramic mercury vessels, once widely used in ancient medicine and jewelry, were discovered by a local resident during fieldwork.

Currently, the Ethnographic Museum’s collection boasts over seven thousand items, with the oldest artifacts dating from the 5th to 4th centuries BCE. The museum houses unique ethnographic collections that highlight the rich artistic traditions and traditional craftsmanship of the Turkmen people. Among the exhibits are fragments of ceramic vessels, metal remnants of various tools, engraved earrings and rings, seal impressions, and other medieval artifacts. Many of these items were collected by reserve staff during field missions across the Dashoguz region or donated by local residents.

One of the museum’s most captivating features is the recreated workshops within the former madrasah cells. These spaces showcase the environments where artisans such as carpet weavers, embroiderers, jewelers, blacksmiths, carpenters, and tanners worked. Among the unique exhibits is a handwoven carpet portrait of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship.

The museum’s collection continues to grow each year, with new discoveries adding valuable ethnocultural insights and further enriching its diverse array of exhibits.