OREANDA-NEWS. April 6, 2009. The visit of Rick Ruth, Director of the Office of Policy and Evaluation of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State became a continuation of the Turkmen-American humanitarian dialogue. The aim of the visit was to learn more about the rich historical heritage of the Turkmen people and monitor the progress of the joint projects implemented in Turkmenistan under the Programme Ambassadors’ Fund for Culture Preservation. During three days Mr. Rick Ruth visited the establishments, which had been implementing the Ambassadors’ Fund funded projects since 2001. The guest visited the National Institute of Manuscripts and saw the expositions of the rarities – the ancient manuscripts restored with the financial assistance of the Ambassadors’ Fund, had the meetings with the specialists of the National Museum of Turkmen Carpet, which had collaborated with the Programme, to thoroughly study the traditional techniques of restoration of carpets and discussed the opportunity to open a specialized restoration workshop at the Museum

Then the American guest visited the Dashoguz Velayat where three projects on restoration of the architectural monuments had been implementing since 2005. These included restoration of the cupola of the Tekesh Sultan Mausoleum built in late XII – early XIII centuries. The specialists of the Kunya Urgench State Historical and Cultural Reserve had strengthened the ramshackle cupola of the Mausoleum and carried on the work to restore the ornamental decorations made of azure glazed tiles. The Institute of History under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan reconstructed the tower dated back to XI-XII centuries known as Aksaray-ding in Gyorogly Etrap in 2006 in collaboration with the Programme of the U.S. Department of State. The new project had been launched in the region. The specialists of the Institute of History with the assistance of the international experts were to repair and reconstruct the construction in Ismamut-ata religious complex in Zaman village

On the last day of the mission Mr. Rick Ruth visited Anau where the first joint Turkmen-American project on protection of he historical sites was completed seven years ago. The specialists of the National Department for Protection, Study and Restoration of the Historical and Cultural Monuments of Turkmenistan had carried out the very difficult work to retrieve the fragments of the XV-century mosaic depicting two dragons that decorated the facade of the Seyit-Jamal ad-Din Mosque destroyed by the 1948 earthquake. Nowadays this monumental panel is displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ashgabat.

Sharing his impressions of the visits the American high-ranking official highly appreciated the Turkmen specialists’ mastership, professionalism and enthusiasm and expressed belief that Turkmen-American cultural cooperation would be further successfully developed.