The Iranian Turkmen women

Turkmen women of Iran’s northeast while preserving rich Turkmen culture and traditions, are actively participating in economic and social scenes of their community.

Nearly two million Turkmen can be found living along the northern edges of Iran, just south of the Turkmenistan border. For centuries the Turkmen lived as nomadic herdsmen. In more recent years, however, many have changed to a “semi-nomadic lifestyle,” living in permanent homes as well as in tents. Today most of them are farmers and cattle breeders.

Turkmen still live in extended families where various generations can be found under the same roof, especially in rural areas. Many tribal customs still survive among modern Turkmen. Unique to Turkmen culture is kalim, which is a groom’s “dowry” that can be quite expensive and often results in the widely practiced tradition of bridal kidnapping.

Photo: Mehr News, Aliyeh Sa’adatpour

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4 comments on “The Iranian Turkmen women
  1. Ahmad Gholi says:

    Sadly some information about the Iran Turkmen is not correct. Majority of Turkmen are sedentary. 5 perecent of Turkmen may be nomads. In addition, traditional life style is disappearing. Now most families do not live in extended families. Informarion of this article gives the sense that Turkmen are still preserved nomadic life. They are modern. Many Turkmen work in Tehran. They have quite modern life.

  2. Ahmad Gholi says:

    In this artcle the write does not mention anything about the education of Turkmen girl and pictures show them just in traditional setting. This is not real image of Turkmen women.

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