The five carpet patterns running down the left-hand side symbolize the five major tribes of Turkmenistan, the Teke, Yomut, Saryk, Chowdur, and Ersari. This reflected an effort by the country’s first president, “Turkmenbashy” Saparmurat Niyazov, to revive a sense of national identity after the Soviet Union’s collapse. This emphasis on cultural roots was designed to solidify a sense of unity and national pride, transitioning away from a Soviet identity.

Although not a national flag, the Caithness flag is of considerable importance to the country of Scotland. Oh yes, and it is also primarily a black yellow and blue flag. It is also a relatively recent flag, in the world of flags only being introduced in 2016. Along with a Nordic cross, this flag is enamored with gold-yellow and black that carry deep interpretive meanings.

Black yellow and blue flag designs aren't common, and as of the last count, there is still only the Bahamas that technically qualifies as a nation with a flag of those color combinations. By design or not, that puts the Bahama national flag in a class of its own, as it proudly hoists its black yellow and blue flag.

Since then, the only slight modification came in 1997, when a golden olive branch was added to the bottom of the carpet motif. This was to signify the country’s recent adoption of its “permament neutrality” status, which you can read more about here.

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Carpets play a significant role across the country, being prominently displayed at official events, featured in museums, and celebrated through an annual national festival. In Ashgabat, the capital, the symbols of the five tribes are visible everywhere, from government buildings to public spaces.

With the modern-day territory of Turkmenistan being incorporated The flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR) underwent several changes during its history in the Soviet Union. The earliest versions, starting in the 1920s, featured text in Arabic script to identify the republic, reflecting the Turkmen language’s use of that script at the time. This text evolved through various scripts, including Latin and later Cyrillic, as Soviet language policy changed.

George became a Pioneer when he visited North Korea at age 15 with this father. He has since lived around the world while pursuing studies of culture and languages but holds a particular soft spot for the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Rwanda.

Central Asia certainly stands out for its distinctive features, from post-Soviet bureaucracy and rugged landscapes to the historical significance of the Silk Road. Yet, one often-overlooked aspect is the uniqueness of its national flags. As the only flag in the world to feature a carpet, the flag of Turkmenistan is especially notable for having a distinct design!

We’ve been offering tours to Turkmenistan for over a decade, so through the years we have gotten to know the country very well! All of our trips take you to see the national flagpole, and both the national flag and other Turkmen symbols are ubiquitous across the country.

The crossed olive branches below the carpet motifs symbolize the country’s “status of permanent neutrality,” much like the olive branches on the United Nations flag.

This design remained in use until the collapse of the Soviet Union in September 1991, when Turkmenistan declared independence. There was a brief period, immediately afterwards when the Soviet flag remained in place. However, a council was comprised to design a new flag, which was unveiled by President Niyazov in March 1992.

There are many different colors and color combinations for flags, but when it comes to a black yellow and blue flag, there aren't so many. In fact, there is only one national flag with those color schemes, the national flag of the Bahamas.

In 1953, a final version of the flag was introduced. It featured the standard Soviet design, a red field with a golden hammer and sickle and a star in the upper canton. Its distinctive feature of two blue stripes across the flag each symbolized the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. Not only were they the two main rivers in the state, but were essential to support life, agriculture, and (crucially) the cotton industry in an otherwise barren desert republic.

This unique black yellow and blue flag design was the actual result of a competition. Using and combining the entries of several candidates, the design for the flag of the Bahamas was created. The birth of the national flag of the Bahamas coincides with its date of independence from the UK on 10 July 1973.

The flag also incorporates Islamic symbols, despite the country’s turbulent religious history during the Soviet era. The crescent moon on the flag acknowledges the nation’s Islamic heritage, while the five stars represent the unity of Turkmenistan’s ethnic tribes as well as the Five Pillars of Islam.

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The cross itself symbolizes the country's ties to its Viking ancestry, while the sea and beaches of Scotland are represented by the flag's blue and yellow designs. Lastly, the black in the Caithness flag is symbolic of its geology. This flag officially represents the counties of Scotland, which are essentially historic subdivisions of the country that were used until 1975.

Today's flag of the Bahamas also replaces its previous flag, which held a much different meaning and looked vastly different from the nation's flag now. The flag of the Bahamas has two blue stripes, one at the top and one at the bottom, symbolizing the water that surrounds this island nation. The yellow stripe (of equal size) runs between the blue stripes and represents the rich natural resources of the Bahamas.

The early flags typically had a red background with Soviet symbols like the hammer and sickle, along with lettering that represented the name of the republic.

The last section of the flag is the black triangular shape on the hoist side. As the triangle points towards the yellow stripe, it is indicative of and a reminder to its citizens of the strength and resolve of the people of the Bahamas.

The flag of Turkmenistan also holds an interesting record. In Ashgabat, the flagpole bearing the national flag ranks as the fifth tallest flagpole in the world.

Depending on your budget, dates, and wants, you may choose to join one of our group tours, or else we can help you orgniaze a private tour. Either way, we recommend checking out our Turkmenistan page here, or getting in contact with us if you have any questions!

The flag of Turkmenistan is the only one in the world to feature images of carpets on its flag, highlighting the cultural and historical importance of carpets in Turkmen society.

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