The Secret History Behind Turkmenistan's Flag
Turkmenistan's flag has a carpet on it.
The flag was adopted in 1992, shortly after independence, and it was updated in 2001. It is green with a vertical red stripe near the hoist that holds five carpet motifs, called guls, one above the other. Each gul is a pattern traditionally woven by one of the main Turkmen tribes, and the five together stand for the main Turkmen tribes.
Beside the carpet stripe is a white crescent with five white stars. The green and the crescent are linked to Islam, and the stars are most often read as the regions of the country. Two olive branches cross below the guls. They were added to recall Turkmenistan's status of permanent neutrality, which the United Nations General Assembly recognized on December 12, 1995.
The date printed on every Turkmenistan design in our catalog, October 27, 1991, is Independence Day.
A carpet, a crescent and two branches of peace.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.