Nokhur
| Nokhur | |||
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| State : |
 Turkmenistan
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| Province : | Ahal welaýaty | ||
| Coordinates : | 38 ° 28 ′ N , 57 ° 2 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 1,100 m. ü. M. | ||
| Residents : | 5,000 | ||
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Nokhur (also Nohur ) is a settlement in southern Turkmenistan in the Kopet Dag Mountains . The approximately 5000 inhabitants who live in the isolated settlement have preserved a unique culture and customs. Nokhur is also used as a generic term for a number of smaller settlements in the region whose inhabitants share the same linguistic and cultural characteristics as the Nokhurs.
location
Nokhur is located in the Ahal welaýaty in southern Turkmenistan, about 180 kilometers from the capital, Ashgabat . The best way to get to the village is from the Aşgabat - Türkmenbaşy highway , which is about an hour's drive through difficult terrain to Nokhur. The settlement is located at an altitude of almost 1,100 meters in the Kopet Dag Mountains, which extend into Iran .
Residents
The inhabitants of the settlement call themselves Nohurli and differ in language, culture and customs from the other inhabitants of Turkmenistan. They speak a special dialect of the Turkmen language that other Turkmen can hardly understand. The Islam is the predominant religion even among residents Nokhurs, but is strong with elements of animalism and Sufism combined. For example, the horns of mountain goats are said to have protective properties. In addition, polygamy is common among the people of Nokhur. The Nohurli are known in Turkmenistan for their working style based on cohesion and mutual support.
The phenotype of the inhabitants of the settlement is also striking, as numerous people have light skin, blue eyes and red hair, characteristics that are otherwise difficult to find among the Turkmen . This observation has led to the thesis that the inhabitants of Nokhur are descendants of the troops of Alexander the Great .
architecture
The architecture in Nokhur contains numerous elements typical of traditional Central Asian architecture. This includes the clay construction method in which most of the buildings in the settlement are built. In addition, Nokhur has numerous Iwane , inner courtyards open on one side, which are delimited on three sides by house facades.
graveyard
The settlement's cemetery is also exceptional. Hundreds of burial mounds can be seen here, each adorned with the horns of the mountain goats, which are attached to wooden stakes and stand on the hills. The horns are supposed to protect the dead from evil spirits and thereby ensure a safe transition into heaven.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Nokhur. Retrieved September 23, 2019 (de-US).
- ↑ Nokhur Travel Guide. Retrieved September 23, 2019 .
- ↑ Nokhur: The Off-Beat Customs of a Timeless Turkmen Village. Retrieved September 23, 2019 (American English).
- ↑ Nokhur Mountain Village | Places to visit in Turkmenistan. Retrieved September 23, 2019 .
- ^ Beate Luckow: Turkmenistan . Trescher Verlag, Berlin 2019, p. 131 .
- ↑ Nokhur - Turkmenistan. In: Novastan German. December 16, 2014, accessed on September 23, 2019 (German).
- ↑ Nokhur Cemetery. Retrieved September 23, 2019 .