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I presented this paper to the “Symposium on Cultural Affairs Concerning Classical Culture” in Askhabad, Turkmenistan, in October of 2000. Along with other rug scholars from many other countries, I was there at the invitation of Turkman Bashii, the supreme ruler of Turkmenistan. We were invited to travel to Turkmenistan to help their “scholars” ascertain the true nature of the classical Turkoman culture. The government had realized their Turkoman cultural experience had been obscured through over 100 years of Russian control. The following paper was delivered to a small select group of Turkmenistan’s most learned rug scholars along with Elena Tsareva and the attending German collectors. It was a most enjoyable experience and I hope you enjoy reading it.