Turkmen Sahra
Encyclopedia
| Major Ethnic Groups of Iran |
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Turkmen Sahra (Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: ترکمن صحرا, Turkmen
Turkmen language
Turkmen is the national language of Turkmenistan...
: Türkmen sähra) that means Plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
of Turkmens, is a region in the northeast of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
near the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, bordering Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
, the majority of whose inhabitants are ethnic Turkmen
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
. The biggest city is Gorgan
Gorgan
Gorgan Some east of Gorgan is the Golestan National Park. The city has a regional airport and several universities. Gorgan Airport was opened in September 2005.-Etymology:...
which is dominated by Persian inhabitants though in recent years there has been immigration of Turkmen and Zabuli from southern Iran. Other cities of Turkmensahra are Gonbad
Gonbad-e Qabus
Gonbad-e Qābus or Gonbad-e Kāvus ; formerly Dashte Gorgan) is a city in and the capital of Gonbad-e-Qabus County, in the province of Golestān in the northeast of Iran...
called Kummet in Turkmen, Aqqala
Aqqala
Aqqala is a city in and capital of Aqqala County, in Golestan Province, in northern Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 27,402, in 5,811 families....
(Ak Qala), Kalaleh
Kalaleh
Kalaleh is a city in and capital of Kalaleh County in Golestan Province, in northern Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 27,661, in 6,446 families....
(Kelalal) and Gomishan (Kumushdepe), meaning the "silvery hill" in Turkmen, and Bandar Torkaman
Bandar Torkaman
Bandar Torkaman is a city in and capital of Torkaman County, Golestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census its population was 45,045, in 9,755 families.Bandar Torkaman is a port on the Caspian Sea. It is approximately from Tehran...
(Bender Turkmen), generally just called Bandar. Bandar Torkaman should not be confused with Bandar Gaz which is also a city in Turkmensahra but inhabited by Persians. There were according to Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
over 2 million Turkmens in Turkmensahra in 1997; according to the opposition of Iran of Turkmen origin there are 3 million Turkmens, but these figures are disputed.
Society
Turkmens today in Turkmensahra live fairly modern lifestyles although the effects of religion and the Muslim way of life are visible. The economy is based on industry even if agriculture still plays a great role in some Turkmens' life, like in other places of Iran. The professions among Turkmens shows the pattern of a modern economy even if there are still some shortcomings due to lack of funding from the central authorities. The economic potential of Turkmensahra is big since a vast amount of oil was discovered early in the 1930. But since there was a deal with the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
that there would be no oil extraction from Turkmensahra there is not a oil industry at the moment.
Before the revolution in 1979 the Turkmens lived a economically richer life than other areas of Iran. Even if poverty exist in small portions most people lived and could afford material goods in home something unusually for some parts of Iran. During the Shah
Reza Pahlavi
Reza Pahlavi may refer to:*Reza Shah , aka Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Persia from 1925 until 1935 and Shah of Iran from 1935 until 1941* Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, son of Reza Shah...
's time the difference between cities and villages was great. Going from city like Bandar Torkaman to a nearby village the difference were so vast that tourist felt like them were back in time. In villages there were no asphalt roads nor doctors that could examinate sick people. There were no electricy either to light up the town or the houses. People used donkey and horse to travel until about 30 years ago. Buses, taxis and private cars were found only in bigger cities.
The literacy rate has also increased since the revolution; it was not unusual for older Turkmen women to be analphabets. Girls began to study in school after the revolution which was unusual back than in the Shah's period.
History
Turkmens came first to the region at the time of their forefathers, the Seljuk Turks.Before the era of Reza Khan later Reza Shah
Reza Shah
Rezā Shāh, also known as Rezā Shāh Pahlavi and Rezā Shāh Kabir , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925, until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar...
, the communication between other Turkmen and those which were part of Turkmensahra was greater. Turkmens are considered by outsiders who visited their area to be generous, kind-hearted thought even having the trait of being hot-headed, a characteristic they are famous for. Ahmad Shamlou, a famous Persian writer wrote a novel about a Turkmen character, Amin. He also indicated the generousity and kind-hearted spirit of the Turkmens in his poem about Amin.
Famous Turkmens from within Turkmensahra include the spiritual leader, national poet and unifier of Turkmen society Magtymguly Pyragy
Magtymguly Pyragy
Magtymguly Pyragy was a Turkmen spiritual leader and philosophical poet who made significant efforts to secure independence and autonomy for his people in the 18th century....
who was born in a village outside Gonbad. The central Iranian authorities erected a mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
over his grave. Other persons born are Agha Mohammed Khan founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran. Also there are claims of Nadir Shah being Turkmen but that's doubtgul according to his own campaigns and official biography. The Nadir Shah's first enemies were the Turkmens of Turkmensahra. Well-known visitors of the region include Ármin Vámbéry
Ármin Vámbéry
Ármin Vámbéry, Arminius Vámbéry born Hermann Bamberger, or Bamberger Ármin , was a Hungarian orientalist and traveler...
who wrote a book about his passage among Turkmens in Turkmensahra.
See also
- Afsharid dynastyAfsharid dynastyThe Afsharids were members of an Iranian dynasty of Turkmen origin from Khorasan who ruled Persia in the 18th century. The dynasty was founded in 1736 by the military commander Nader Shah who deposed the last member of the Safavid dynasty and proclaimed himself King of Iran. During Nader's reign,...
- Ethnicities in IranEthnicities in IranApproximately 75-80% of Iran's peoples speak Iranian languages. The major groups in this category include Persians, Kurds, Gilakis, Mazandaranis, Lurs, and Baluchis. Turkic speakers, such as the Azeri, Turkmen, and the Qashqai peoples, comprise a substantial minority. The remainder are primarily...
- Turkmen languageTurkmen languageTurkmen is the national language of Turkmenistan...
- Turkmen peopleTurkmen peopleThe Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...