Three Yurts, Man Seated in Doorway of Yurt in Foreground

1905
These three large kibitka (wattle yurts) are made from reeds. The roofs are constructed of felt covers over wooden frames. The photograph was taken near the Murgab Oasis in the region of Bayramaly (present-day Turkmenistan). The oasis takes its name from the Murgab River, which flows from Afghanistan into Turkmenistan and forms part of the border between the two countries. Settlements along the Murgab River and the city of Merv (now Mary) were annexed by the Russian Empire in 1884. In front of the yurt on the right is a youth of the Teke ethnic group. He is wearing a tall shaggy sheepskin hat and bright red robe. Although nomadic in orgin, some of the Teke adopted a settled existence and served as cavalry in the Russian armed forces. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states), which he visited on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him for its examples of traditional culture.

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Filename: 6474.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1712 / 487.4KB; 1905 Turkmenistan Mary Bayramaly Yurts Men Photo WDL 010557
Contained in galleries: TURKMENISTAN

1905<br />
These three large kibitka (wattle yurts) are made from reeds. The roofs are constructed of felt covers over wooden frames. The photograph was taken near the Murgab Oasis in the region of Bayramaly (present-day Turkmenistan). The oasis takes its name from the Murgab River, which flows from Afghanistan into Turkmenistan and forms part of the border between the two countries. Settlements along the Murgab River and the city of Merv (now Mary) were annexed by the Russian Empire in 1884. In front of the yurt on the right is a youth of the Teke ethnic group. He is wearing a tall shaggy sheepskin hat and bright red robe. Although nomadic in orgin, some of the Teke adopted a settled existence and served as cavalry in the Russian armed forces. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states), which he visited on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him for its examples of traditional culture.