The amulets alaja have woven and knitted types. The name of the amulet indicates that the Turkmen women made it from different coloured yarns and threads and used them according to their types. It should be noted that the efforts of creative women have brought this ancient and enduring art to modern times.
The Turkmen people have always cherished the national traditions, arts, and cultural values dating back to ancient times. Our people have passed them down from generation to generation. Handicrafts, created by the skilful Turkmen women and known since ancient times, have gained recognition of the world community. Another evidence of the great importance of this subtle art for world culture is the inclusion of the nomination ‘Turkmen art of embroidery’ on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. A number of the Turkmen carpets entered the Guinness World Records. To date, many of those national cultural values are preserved in museums. One of the most popular values, used in almost every household, is alaja.
