Saryks and Tekes to organize a campaign to the Merv oasis in 1861. However, it ended in a crushing defeat for the Iranian troops. Modern Turkmen tribes in present-day Iran Nearly one million Turkmens can be found living along the northern edges of Iran, just south of the Turkmenistan-Iran border. For centuries, Turkmens had lived as nomadic herdsmen. In more recent years, however, many of them have changed to a "semi-nomadic lifestyle," living in permanent homes as well as in tents. Today, most of them are farmers and cattle breeders. Turkmens still live in extended families where various generations can be found under the same roof, especially in rural areas. Many tribal customs still survive among the modern Turkmens. Language Iranian Turkmens speak primarily Southern Turkmen, a variant of the Turkmen language also spoken in Afghanistan. It is currently written in the Perso-Arabic script, though some use the Turkmen Latin script, common in the Republic of Turkmenistan since its independence in the 1990s. Southern Turkmen is mutually intelligible with the Turkmen variety spoken in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, though it borrows heavily Persian loanwords. There is also a strong Arabic influence in Southern Turkmen. Notable Iranian Turkmen Dowletmammet Azady, Turkmen poet, scholar and Sufi Magtymguly Pyragy, Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet and Sufi Haj Aghi Alejalil, Iranian philanthropist Sardar Azmoun, Iranian footballer who plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and Iranian National Team. Farhad Ghaemi, volleyball player from Iran, who plays as a Spike for the Men's National Team Saber Kazemi, volleyball player from Iran, who plays as an opposite spiker for the Men's National Team Ezzatollah Pourghaz, Iranian footballer who plays for Esteghlal Khuzestan in the Persian Gulf Pro League Omid Kokabee, experimental laser physicist Ramin Nourqolipour, Iranian Turkmen politician and scientist who represented a part of Iranian Turkmen community in Iranian Parliament for four years between 2016 and 2020 Rahimberdi Annamoradnejad, Iranian urban planner Habib Alejalil, Iranian Turkmen video game developer See also Turkmens Turkmen tribes Turkmen Sahra Turkoman horse Music of Turkmenistan Iranian Turks Afghan Turkmens References External links Encyclopedia Iranian Turkmen TurkmenSahra Ethnic Turkmen people Ethnic groups in Iran Iranian Turkmen people