A Turkmen carpet exhibition, entitled 'Heavenly Beauty - Turkmen Carpet,' will be varnished on Tuesday at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.

It will be open until March 31.

''The art of carpet weaving was born in the ancient Turkmen lands in the 3rd - 2nd millennia BC. This is proven by the bronze tools for weaving carpets, found during archaeological excavations in Parhai, Sumbar Valley. The oldest existing Turkmen carpet - the Pazyryk Carpet - is dated around the 5th - 4th centuries BC. For the production of Turkmen carpets, sheep wool and permanent dyes of vegetable origin are used. The carpets are handmade, with the help of special tools,' specifies the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Romania.

Turkmen carpets are characterized by geometric designs with stylized plant, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs. Various shades of red make up the main color of a Turkmen carpet, the same source mentions.

The traditional art of carpet making in Turkmenistan has been added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

''Carpets serve both as floor coverings and as wall decorations; special carpets are also woven for the birth of a child or for wedding ceremonies and prayer and mourning rituals. The art of carpet making is widely integrated into the social and cultural life of the Turkmen people and is considered a sign of identity and cultural unity. The related skills and knowledge are passed down within the family, and the viability of the tradition has been continuously ensured by the community members. The annual celebration of Carpet Day plays a key role in transmitting the element by bringing together different communities, strengthening social ties and cooperation,'' the event organizers explain. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tănăsescu, EN: writing by: Cristina Zaharia)