Crafts by region
| What | Where it comes from | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Suzani (embroidered panels) | Samarkand, Urgut, Bukhara, Nurata | hand embroidery takes weeks; the back shows small knots and uneven stitches |
| Silk ikat: atlas and adras | Margilan, Fergana Valley | visit the Yodgorlik silk factory to see the whole process |
| Blue-green ceramics | Rishtan, Fergana Valley | the turquoise ishkor glaze is the signature |
| Brown-and-yellow ceramics | Gijduvan near Bukhara | family workshops with a small museum |
| Pchak knives | Chust, Fergana Valley | checked luggage only |
| Miniature painting | Bukhara | workshops in the old caravanserais |
| Gold embroidery | Bukhara | hand and cheaper machine versions exist; ask which one |
| Silk paper | Konigil (Meros), near Samarkand | made from mulberry bark, the way it was in the Middle Ages |
| Carved wood | Khiva | boxes, Koran stands, small columns |
| Carpets | Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand | check size against your baggage allowance |
Where to buy
- Tashkent: Chorsu Bazaar for food and everyday crafts; concept stores and galleries in the centre for modern designers.
- Samarkand: the pedestrian street between the Registan and Bibi-Khanym, and the workshops of the Hunarmand centre; Urgut's Sunday bazaar for suzani.
- Bukhara: the trading domes and old caravanserais of the centre, where many craftsmen work on site.
- Khiva: the Allakuli Khan caravanserai by the eastern gate and the woodcarvers' workshops inside Itchan Kala.
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Ask UzGidAIHandmade or machine-made?
- Suzani: turn it over. Handwork has small irregularities and knots; a perfectly even back is usually a machine.
- Ikat: real hand-dyed ikat has soft, slightly blurred edges between colours; printed fabric has sharp ones.
- Ceramics: hand-painted patterns are never quite symmetrical. Ask to see the workshop if it is next door.
- Buying directly from the maker usually costs less and the money stays with the craftsman.
Paying and bargaining
Bargaining is normal at bazaars and in the trading domes, less so in galleries and shops with price tags. Smile, ask the price, offer less and meet in the middle. Carry som in cash: many workshops do not take cards. More on cash: money in Uzbekistan.
At the airport
- Knives go in checked luggage only.
- Antiques and old carpets may need an export certificate. Ask the seller for a receipt and, for anything old, for the paperwork.
- Wrap ceramics in clothes and carry fragile pieces in your hand luggage.
- Dried fruit, nuts, spices and halva travel well; keep liquids such as honey in checked luggage.