Saparmurat Niyazov or Turkmenbashi (the head of all Turkmen), who ruled the largely desert state with an iron fist from the end of the Soviet era until his death in 2006, renamed all months in honor of himself, Turkmen symbols and his mother in 2002. July was named Gorkut after the hero of a Turkmen epic.
January was named in the Central Asian state after the president, April his mother and September after his book the "Rukhnama" (Book of the Soul), which was compulsory reading for government officials and students. He also renamed Saturday Rukhnama Day.
Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov abolished the old calendar in April this year after receiving numerous requests from members of the public. The resolution was ratified by the country's parliament (Mejlis) in May.
The renaming will mainly affect official and commercial documents.
Berdymukhammedov has made some moves toward opening the country up to the outside world, including lifting a ban on Internet access. He has also called for widespread reforms of the country's decaying healthcare and education systems.
Although the country earns substantial revenue from its main exports, natural gas and cotton, the economy has suffered from years of corruption and restrictions on private enterprise. Data on the country's economy remain state secrets, but unemployment is known to be over 50%.