Tours
Recommended
If you are in Samarkand and have 1-2 extra days to spend to see something out of ordinary tourist programs then we can suggest you to make a trip to a small town of Urgut that is located just 40 km from Samarkand. There are couple of reasons to visit Urgut. Firstly, Uzbekistan can’t boast of interesting small towns – it is either big cities, or small villages and deserts and mountains, but Urgut is a total exception, perhaps it is the most picturesque small town of Uzbekistan.
Secondly, it has one of the largest bazaars in the whole of Central Asia and it is one of the best places in the country to buy jewelry, suzani and antiques. This is a huge market selling everything for the locals such as clothing, food and hardware. For the tourist you can find traditional handicrafts such as carpets, metalwork, ceramics and jewellery, but the main attraction is Suzanis, and Urgut is by right is considered to be the capital of Uzbek suzani. The best time to visit bazaar is Sunday when it is the busiest. On Monday and Thursday, it is not working.
A visit to a local house in nearby settlement of Gus can be arranged where most of the embroiderers live and work. They will show you the process of suzani creation, demonstrate their best works and you will have an opportunity to purchase the pieces that you liked.
Masterclass Overview
Today we’ll go to Gus Village, Urgut District (1.5h from Samarkand) to have a class on suzani embroidery.
Suzani – hand-embroidered tribal textile panel; the word comes from the Persian word “suzan” (needle). Suzanis were traditionally made by brides as part of their dowry, and were presented to the groom on the wedding day. Mothers pass the skill to daughters to keep the craft alive and business within a family.
We’ll visit family of local artisans The Khamdamovs, where women headed by famous suzani master Mavluda-opa will teach us to create suzani. After that, we’ll have a lunch with our hosts, and depart to Samarkand.
More about Urgut suzani and Khamdamovs family you can learn here.
Duration
- Starting time: 09:00.
- Duration: 6-7 hours
The guide will pick you up from the hotel early in the morning and will drive you to Urgut. The road is very bumpy and in the bad condition but the distance is relatively short and the riding time (60-80 minutes) is bearable.
| Tourists |
Per Person
|
|---|---|
| 1 | $290 |
| 2 | $150 |
| 3 | $140 |
| 4 | $110 |
| 5 | $100 |
