13 Facts about the world’s most closed country that will make Kim Jong-un’s hair stand on end

Most likely you have heard how difficult it is to live in North Korea. But there is another country with laws so curious that not even Kim Jong-un would invent them. A place with almost no entry for foreigners, and where many citizens are forbidden to leave. You will hardly be able to find pictures of this country on social media, because they are prohibited, and getting internet access there is even more complicated than in China. Foreign press is prohibited and the importation of foreign literature is considered a crime.

we, in awesome.clubwe found some shocking photos and laws from one of the most closed countries in the world: Turkmenistan.

In 2001, a law was introduced whereby foreigners had to deposit $50,000 into the Turkmen Insurance Organization account if they wanted to marry a local girl. The decree on the “state endowment” was annulled by the new president in 2007.

Even so, now the conditions for marriage are not much more attractive. In order to get married, a man must commit to living with his future wife in the country for at least one year. You also need to own a local property, meaning the foreigner needs to buy a house or apartment in Turkmenistan. And to conclude, it is mandatory to have a prenuptial contract that sets out the terms of division of property in case of divorce.

Since 2004, civil servants have been banned from putting in gold teeth, although this ban was later eased. However, the strict dress code still exists. Young people cannot have long hair, beards or mustaches. And girls cannot appear in public places with short skirts.

In schools, it is customary to check whether girls are wearing traditional pants with embroidery under the dress. And public servants cannot wear nail polish or false eyelashes.

The use of makeup is prohibited for all residents, including television professionals. Nor can you wear gold jewelry or dye your hair – only the president of the country has the right to do so.

Turkmenistan’s first president – Saparmurat Niyazov, who calls himself Turkmenbashi (“father of the Turkmens”), and whose personality cult even Kim Jong-un himself would envy, was not exactly a modest man. He renamed the month of January in his honor and that of April in the name of his late mother. By the way, the goddess of justice, Themis, is often depicted with the face of the president’s mother.

Also in honor of the country’s leader, more than 14,000 monuments were built throughout Turkmenistan. About 10 million dollars were spent on the construction of one of the most famous, the Arch of Neutrality, in Ashgabat. The top of the arch had a huge 14-meter golden statue of the president, which rotated with the movement of the sun.

In 2001 the Turkmenbashi abolished ballet and opera. The president also declared all infectious diseases illegal, and any mention of AIDS and cholera was completely prohibited.

The current president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, repealed some laws passed by his predecessor. In addition, he removed several golden statues of the country’s former ruler, replacing them with his own.

For example, in 2015 the great monument “Arcadag” (“Patron”) was inaugurated, in which the president rides a golden horse. For many who have been to St. Petersburg (Russia), this monument may resemble the “Bronze Knight”, only 3 times bigger, and gold-plated.

Since 2015, a ban on the import of black cars has been introduced in the country. According to the president, this color brings unhappiness, and it is only allowed to drive white cars. Hatred of blacks reached such a point that the police fined vehicles with black discs on the wheels. In the country’s capital, cars with dark colors disappeared and several drivers ended up being forced to repaint their cars.

As far as wedding cars are concerned, there are also special traditions. They are decorated with a special local touch and the main rule for the decorator of ceremonies in Turkmenistan is: there is no shortage of gold.

Another curiosity is that in addition to the standard photographs with local monuments in the background, a new mandatory tradition has been gaining strength recently. One of the decisions of the current ruler is that newlyweds are obliged to take, during the ceremony, photos with the leader’s portrait. And the album must contain at least 3 photos of the bride and groom with the head of the nation.

This is a monument dedicated to victims of accidents on a local road. To reduce the accident rate on the country’s roads, the government decided to resort to very curious measures. Since December 2017, authorities have banned women from driving, as they believe they cause more accidents than men.

At first, the police just stopped offenders and then let them go, with a fine. But a few months after the ban, the traffic police began to revoke the licenses of women who drove, and started towing their cars.

Internet coverage in the country is very poor, although a few years ago it was completely banned. In the capital it is possible to find only 5 cyber cafes. But to gain access to the network, the user needs to provide his passport details and then register. Most sites, including news sites, are blocked. There is also no access to social networks or messaging apps.

It is forbidden to photograph many buildings in Turkmenistan. You cannot take pictures of airports, military institutions, police stations, government buildings, embassies and the Presidential Palace. It is also not possible to take a beautiful picture in the famous “Teke”, “Russkiy” and “Tolkuchka” bazaars in Ashgabat, as well as in many others. The author of this photograph, for example, broke the law.

If a police officer notices that you are photographing something prohibited, they may confiscate your camera. At the airport, border guards also frequently request all photographs from your camera and laptop.

Anyone who has a tourist visa is prohibited from visiting private homes or apartments of friends, relatives and acquaintances. If the local police find out, the visitor could be fined and deported. Tourists are required to live in hotels, and cannot leave after 10pm. Walking through some cities in the country without a guide is also prohibited.

About 50 years ago, while drilling a well in the village of Darvaz, Soviet geologists found an underground cavity. The earth there collapsed, forming a huge pit filled with gas. And so that the harmful gas would not come out, they decided to set it on fire. It was supposed that after a few days the fire would go out, but since then it has continued to burn. Today it is one of the most popular attractions in the country, which tourists call “the door to hell”.

Did you know so many peculiarities about Turkmenistan?