The coming year 2024 is considered the year of Fish according to the Turkmen zodiac, and the year of the Dragon according to the Eastern Chinese calendar. Historians connect the origin of the 12-year zodiac calendar, which spread over a large part of the planet, with the life and way of life of the inhabitants of Central Asia and Turkic-speaking peoples. In the minds of the ancestors of the Turkmens, the attitude towards the dragon itself was ambiguous and underwent significant changes over the centuries.
As the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper reports, archaeological finds in the country indicate the veneration of the image of the dragon since ancient times. The amulets from Gonurdepe, which are about 4000 years old, are engraved with images of snakes and dragons paired with birds and animals. This reflects the ideas of the ancients about universal fertility and the continuation of life.
Particularly interesting are the sculptures of dragons on the portal arch of the mosque of St. Seyit Jemaletdin of the XV century. It was a huge mosaic panel made of colored tiles, which, unfortunately, was lost during the 1948 earthquake. However, his photographs and careful measurements by the architectural historian G.A. Pugachenkova have been preserved.
The unusualness of this plot is that in the religious buildings of Islam there are practically no images of living creatures, even mythical ones. According to Pugachenkova, set out in the book “The Anau Mosque”, the dragons with the body of a snake on the mosque portal are a totem, a symbol of the main Turkmen tribe - Tagma, which inhabited the Anau district in the XV century. The azhdarha snakes were the guardians of the holy Seyit Jemaletdin, whose name translates as “House of Beauty”.
Thus, the image of the dragon is deeply rooted in the culture of the ancient Turkmens. Therefore, it is quite natural that in 2024 the symbols of Fish and Dragon, embodying the wisdom and spiritual traditions of Central Asia, will unite.
According to the venerable elders, this year is rich in harvest and promises increased prosperity. But everyone must make every effort to achieve their goals, and not rely only on their defender.
