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The Museum of Ethnography and Folklore of the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan opened on May 18, 2009. The three-story building adjoins the main museum building. The ground floor houses an exhibition dedicated to the nature of Turkmenistan, while the first floor houses the ethnographic department. The local history and nature department consists of 11 sections. The first section presents the origin of life on the Earth, as well as the fossils and footprints of ancient creatures found in Turkmenistan. Among them are dinosaur footprints found in Koytendag (approximately 150 million years old), of the world's only footprints of ancient camel, Arvan, found in the Western Kopetdag (2.5 million years old), and the skeletal remains of ancient elephants that inhabited Turkmenistan during the Neogene period. The second section of the museum introduces the physical and geographical features of Turkmenistan. Here in showcases are presented maps of Turkmenistan's seismic, climatic, soil, and water basins, as well as the country's mineral resources. Sections 3 up to 10 present the flora and fauna of Turkmenistan's beautiful natural environment. The journey begins in the southeast of the country. The Koytendag and Garlyk Caves dioramas are on display, along with natural monuments of the Lebap region—the Ayrybaba mountain range, Arnap grove, Lake Kettekol, Lake Gaynarbaba, Kyrkgyz grotto, and the Koytendag State Nature Reserve. The "Birds of Turkmenistan" display case displays various bird species native to our country. Medicinal plants of our country, such as yandak, uzarlik, yshgyn, and others, are presented in a herbarium. Two dioramas depict lakes Gaplangyr and Sarygamysh, located in the northern region of the country. The fifth section of the permanent exhibition features a diorama introducing the flora and fauna of Badkhyz and its natural monuments: the "Yeroilanduz Basin" and the "Pistachio light Forest." This section contains information about the Batkhyz State Nature Reserve, birds of prey, and a collection of insects and arachnids. The flora and fauna of the Kopetdag Mountains are presented in three dioramas. These include animals such as the badger, eared hedgehog, bezoar goat, wild ram, leopard, marten, brown bear, wolf, as well as birds such as the golden eagle, bearded vulture, vulture, northern goshawk, rock pigeon and rock partridge.
80% of Turkmenistan's territory is covered by the Karakum Desert. The diorama dedicated to this landscape displays the following animals: gazelle, caracal, corsac, hare, monitor lizard, sand cat and houbara bustard. One of the most valuable exhibits in the nature section is the Turanian tiger. It is presented in a diorama named "Amydarya." Turkmenistan has 436 registered bird species, including waterfowl, which are displayed in a separate diorama. The museum exhibit features nine tulip species listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan, four of which are endemic. The exhibition is complemented by display cases dedicated to nature conservation, featuring portraits of biologists and scientists from Turkmenistan.
On the first floor of the museum, the ethnographic section presents a comprehensive overview of the customs and traditions of the Turkmen people, displaying household items, national costumes, crafts, weapons, musical instruments, and silver jewelry. The ethnographic section begins with a discussion of hunting, one of the most ancient human activities. Hunting has existed for millennia and served as a supplementary industry in the Turkmen economy, serving as the primary source of means of subsistence. The museum exhibit displays shields, spears, armour, steel swords, metal knives, and firearms used in battles in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Agriculture, the main sector of the ancient Turkmen economy, played a vital role in human life. The production of vegetable oil from sesame and cotton was widespread, using a juvaz (oil press) powered by draft animals. Water was of great importance to the Turkmen people. One of the display cases displays tools for digging wells. Residents of the Amydarya region used various hydraulic structures to irrigate their fields: dams and reservoirs kept the river's water level at the crop level. Along with agriculture, the Turkmen also farmed livestock and bred valuable cattle breeds. In nomadic villages in left for summer pastures. Various dairy products essential for everyday life were obtained from the milk of sheep and goats. The prefabricated houses embodying a national heritage and features of the Turkmen people have unique shape. The furniture of these houses is presented by carpet products: gapylyk, ensi, umur-duman, mat bag, bags, ikselik, ukujy, saddle-bag and articles of everyday life. Near the door of the house is represented tamdyr the symbol of honesty and nationality. Turkmens name family ceremony "toy". The diorama comprehensively represents marriage ceremony.
The horse takes a special place in a rich historical heritage of the Turkmen people. Our ancestors, considering a horse saddle to be better than an imperial throne, esteemed him and decorated with gold and silver and carpet products. In Turkmen economy the big attention was given to workmanship. Turkmens used for clothes silk fabrics woven on a house weaving loom. The Turkmen carpet belongs to a category of ancient, rare products from the point of view of technics of manufacturing and aesthetic value. National jewellery made of the silver, gilded and adorned with semiprecious stones, differ by a combination of colours and grace. The exposition represents blacksmithing, joinery and pottery.
The Turkmen people have the original, unique culture which origins in ancient times. Turkmans loved literacy. Each parent wanted his child to be competent. They got education at rural schools and madrasah, giving higher education. As well as in all Central Asia, education of Turkmens has been closely connected with Islam. Since ancient times Turkmans believed, that music is connected with laws of the nature and possesses magic force. The subjects of Turkmen musical art are very wide. Musical instruments were made throughout centuries. Examples of ancient musical instruments are dutar, gijak, reed pipe and Jew's-harp. The last part of the exposition is devoted to destan (epic poetry). Destan is a direction of bagshy art, carried in a combination with music. It basically consists of stories and verses. Bagshy recited legends by words, and verses - by songs. Destans are divided in two groups: the epic poems created by the concrete author and national epic poems. Epic poems show customs, nobleness, patriotism and high moral feelings of the Turkmen people.