In the heart of Ashgabat stands one of the most unusual monuments in Central Asia — the Ruhnama Monument, a 6-metre-high sculpture shaped like a giant book.
Installed in 2003, it used to open mechanically every evening, illuminating the square and displaying a digital page from the Ruhnama on built-in screens. Although no longer operational, it remains a powerful symbol of a unique cultural moment in Turkmen history.
What is the Ruhnama?
Ruhnama, or Book of the Soul, is a two-volume work written by Turkmenistan’s first president, Saparmurat Türkmenbaşy. Blending spiritual guidance, national mythology, personal memoirs, poems, parables, and reflections on Turkmen identity, it was meant to serve as a unifying cultural and moral foundation for the country’s future.
At its height, the Ruhnama played a central role in Turkmen civic life:
- It was a required subject in schools and universities.
- Knowledge of the book was mandatory for civil service jobs and even driving licence exams.
- It was translated into more than 40 languages and launched into space aboard a satellite in 2005.
One of the most iconic places where the Ruhnama is honoured is the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque, the largest mosque in Central Asia, located in the town of Gypjak. Its walls and minarets feature inscriptions from both the Quran and the Ruhnama, symbolising the intended harmony between spiritual belief and national identity.
Although the book’s influence began to wane after 2007 and it was removed from the national curriculum, the Ruhnamaremains a distinctive and thought-provoking chapter in the cultural landscape of Turkmenistan.
