Carpet weaving stands among the most distinguished manifestations of conventional Iranian art, serving not only a practical purpose but also as a medium for transmitting cultural, ritual, and even mythological concepts. Among these, the Turkmen carpet holds a remarkable position. These creations not only have unique characteristics in terms of texture, color, and design, but they also possess a special richness in terms of concept and meaning.
This study desires to explore the roots, implications, and structure of one of the renowned symbols in Turkmen carpets—the Toghor Gol, which represents the eagle motif. The Toghor Gol pattern is one of the complex and fascinating instances of symmetrical geometric and representational designs that signifies the beauty, harmony, and tribal identity of the Turkmen people. The precise and intricate design of this motif, which consists of symmetry, broken and angular lines, simple geometric forms, and rhythmic combinations based on a strong and cohesive geometry, reflects its deep connection with the spiritual beliefs and cultural history of the Turkmen people.
The Toghor Gol pattern is woven in Turkmen carpets in abstract, geometric, and even minimalist forms and bears sophisticated meanings contrary to its simple appearance. In Turkmen society, the eagle is a holy bird which symbolizes strength, power, holiness, and celestial force. The history of eagle pattern can be traced back to ancient Iranian civilization, Zoroastrian myth, cosmic rituals, and even Islamic philosophy. These historical-religious connections have given the role of Toghor Gol a special conceptual depth.
The present study, using descriptive-analytical method and employing written sources and visual analyses, seeks to answer the fundamental question of why and how the eagle motif (Toghor Gol) has emerged in Turkmen carpets and what meaning and function it holds in this cultural context. The scope of this research has been the Golestan province, particularly its Turkmen-inhabited areas, which has long been considered the main center for the production of Turkmen carpets.
Turkmen weavers, particularly women who sustain this art, use patterns to express their thoughts, emotions, experiences, and beliefs. Toghor Gol is actually a cultural and mental symbol of the eagle, employed geometrically and in repetition on the carpet’s surface. This design approach reveals a certain worldview; a world where order, power, spirituality, and nature are interwoven.
Every Turkmen tribe possesses a unique carpet design. The Toghor Gol belongs to the Jafarbay clan of the Yomut tribe. This motif is considered a symbol of the tribe’s supremacy and its connection to nature and tribal history. Intellectual process is applied in carrying out the design, relying on visual memory as well as oral tradition. Without using a map, the weaver nurtures the pattern in his/her mind and cleverly brings it within the warp and weft of the carpet. This weaving technique itself is a sign of cultural authenticity and historical continuity in the transmission of knowledge.
There are three versions of the Toghor Gol motif in Turkmen carpets: first, a version resembling the shape of an eagle but still abstract; second, a simplified version depicting only some of the visual characteristics like wings; and third, a very abstract version where visual resemblance is lost, and only the concept remains in the mind. This evolution illustrates the influence of religious teachings, which forbids the depiction of living creatures in art. So the Turkmen artist resorts to unrealistic representations to preserve beliefs while also conveying concepts.
In ancient Iranian culture, the eagle was a symbol of Ahura Mazda and the celestial kingdom. One of the manifestations of Verethragna (Bahram) is in the form of an eagle. During the Sasanian Empire, the eagle was a celestial and imperial image seen mostly on coins and reliefs. Islamic texts also describe the eagle as a representation of glory and power. From its use in the flag of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) to tales of the medicinal properties of its feathers and venom, everything indicates the high status of this bird in the minds of Muslims.
Aesthetically, the Turkmen carpets are geometric and ordered. Red, black, cream, and green are the dominant colors which, in conjunction with repetitive patterns, create an effect of visual balance and harmony. Symbolizing life, energy, and blood, red is the most utilized color in the Toghor Gol design. Color choice in Turkmen carpets is not so much a matter of aesthetics-each color is imbued with specific meaning and symbolic significance. Additionally, the nomadic lifestyle of the Turkmen, where stone architecture or fine visual arts are less prevalent, has made carpets the primary medium for cultural and artistic expression.
Hence, carpet patterns not only reflect beauty and taste but are also a way of expressing identity, collective memory, and religious as well as ethnic beliefs. The Toghor Gol is one of the most central patterns, which carries a significance beyond form and appearance—a significance drawn from the history, nature, rituals, and life experience of the Turkmen people.
In some native narratives, it is said that the eagle keeps only two of its chicks and lets the others go so that another bird can raise them. This statement embodies a concept of strictness in selection, natural selection, and the transfer of power to the deserving. This concept is symbolically represented in the Toghor Gol through geometric repetitions. Repetition of these patterns indicates cultural continuity and tradition preservation that the Turkmen have maintained against historical degradation and forgetfulness.
In conclusion, the Toghor Gol motif is a complex symbol rooted in layered culture, history, and religious practice. Although it appears simple, it is full of meanings that can only be understood by recognizing its cultural and historical context. The Toghor Gol pattern manifests the art of Turkmen women, reflects oral tribal history, and signifies the connection between myth, religion, and aesthetics. This research demonstrates that Turkmen carpets transcend mere decorative objects—they are cultural and historical texts requiring interdisciplinary and in-depth perspective to be realized.
Another significant aspect of Turkmen carpets is the transmission of cultural concepts through symbolism. In this artistic style, patterns aren’t merely decorative but carry semantic, historical, and ritual significance. These concepts have been passed down through generations and each weaver serving as a storyteller of his/her tribe’s history and culture. Among the Turkmen, carpets function as cultural documents revealing ethnographic elements, mythological aspects, and even social systems. The Toghor Gol pattern is no exception. This motif represents not only the eagle as a powerful predatory bird but also embodies fundamental values like loyalty, care, courage, and independence.
Since the animal motifs in Iranian art, particularly birds in traditional patterns, are so important, the Toghor Gol should be regarded as an extension of conventional Iranian pattern-making traditions. Birds have had a privileged status in Iranian mythology, literature, and painting, always symbolizing spirit, flying, transcendence, and the connection between earth and heaven. The eagle, as the highest bird in this symbolic system, establishes a connection between myth and reality that reaches its peak in Toghor Gol.
From an anthropological art perspective, the motifs such as Toghor Gol are not only do they represent an ethnic perspective on nature, but they also reflect cosmology and power structures in traditional societies. In Turkmen society, the eagle is not merely a celestial bird but rather a representative of the people’s perspective on the levels of existence, the division of power, and the cycle of life. This bird appears in the minds of weavers as a wise, powerful, and guardian creature, holding a ritualistic place in the biological cycle. Encoding such concepts in the visual structure of the carpet has turned it into a living medium for conveying collective memory—a medium that, despite the transformations of modernity, still retains the power to tell the continuity of indigenous culture.