The craft heartland · Uzbekistan
Fergana Valley
Silk, ceramics and the most fertile valley in Central Asia.
The Fergana Valley is a green bowl ringed by the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay ranges, shared by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is the most densely populated part of Central Asia and the home of its finest crafts: silk ikat in Margilan, ceramics in Rishtan, knives in Chust.
Travellers come less for monuments than for workshops, bazaars and everyday life. A train through the mountain tunnel from Tashkent makes it an easy addition to a classic route.
- Time needed
- 2–3 days
- Best time
- April–May and September–October
- Getting there
- Trains run from Tashkent through the mountains to Kokand, Margilan and Andijan in about 4–5 hours.
Don’t miss
Highlights
- 01
Margilan silk workshops
Watch ikat being dyed and woven by hand.
- 02
Rishtan ceramics
Masters’ workshops producing the famous blue-green glaze.
- 03
Kokand
The Khudayar Khan palace and Juma Mosque.
- 04
Kumtepa Bazaar
A traditional market near Margilan.
Nearby
