Turkmenistans Cultural Treasures

To outsiders Turkmenistan is one of the worlds least known countries For the first time in ten years a film crew has been free to visit spectacular excavation sites and follow international researchers into areas that have long been offlimits Once considered the poorest part of the Soviet Union oil and natural gas have brought new wealth to Turkmenistan today A little known fact in the West is that 4000 years ago the country was home to one of the ancient worlds centers of power Although it flourished around the same time as the advanced civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt the Margiana empire was later largely forgotten Since the fall of the Soviet Union the country has been slowly opening up to international researchers and its astounding cultural heritage is coming to light