Traditions of Hospitality

These friendly people and old well-respected Turkmen traditions are distinguished by their hospitality. Turkmen frequently judge a person based on how he treats his guests. A visitor is greeted with the phrase "Khosh geldiniz!" and other ritual phrases such as: "How glad we are to see you! What an honor you've bestowed upon us! "are required.

The cloth with food on it is considered sacred, and stepping on it is a sin. Everyone should praise the Lord before eating, according to tradition. In the East, they say: "Every visitor has been sent by Allah!" It means that hospitality is both a duty and a sanctity for the host. This tradition originated in ancient times and has become ingrained in modern Turkmen culture. It was a simple form of security back then. People could not have survived the desert's hardships without the help of one another. As a result, if someone had been unfriendly to a traveler, even his relatives would have despised him. Turkmen have always revered bread and salt. Stepping on them was considered unlucky.