As the train drove toward Fergana Valley in eastern Uzbekistan we crossed through the arid Qurama Mountains. At Kamchik Pass the train had climbed to an elevation of 1,800 m and the interior of the once steamy train, finally began to cool down. The mountains were glowing in the evening sun and we were excited to explore Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley on the other side of this range.
Fergana Valley has been known as a fertile garden in arid Central Asia since the days of the Silk Road. The name is a bit misleading as it is not a valley at all, but rather a depression between the tall Tian Shan Mountains in the north and the Alay Mountains in the south. Historically it was ruled by as many different Khans as the rest of Central Asia. During Soviet occupation, haphazard borders were created dividing the valley between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. At that time the borders didn’t really affect the people because they could come and go as they pleased. When the countries gained independence however, the borders and the wealth that was contained in the land mattered a lot more. Looking at the map below, you can see how willy-nilly the borders are. The cities we visited in the three countries, Kokand in Uzbekistan, Khujand in Tajikistan and Osh in Kyrgyzstan, used to be one region but now are separated by an arbitrary border.
A large part of the problem is that the people’s ethnicities do not follow these lines. Families found themselves living on opposite sides of the borders from each other. Jealousy and hatred developed between people who were once family and neighbours because of the feeling of inequity in the distribution of land. Many say that this was done to ensure that there were minorities in each Soviet state. This unequal division would create internal fighting and keep the heat off the Soviet rulers.
In Uzbekistan today the area appears to be settled and safe, but the borders between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are more problematic and have recently been closed due to tensions.
Our first introduction to Fergana Valley was the section that is in Uzbekistan where a big smile of golden teeth greeted us, welcoming us to Fergana. The people in the Uzbekistan are incredibly friendly, kind and helpful. but in Fergana Valley they took it up a notch. Walking down the street, minding our own business, locals would always smile and say hello, often asking where we’re from, and if they could take our picture. One man came over to ask Richard if I was his wife. He then pinched my cheek so hard I could feel his fingers for the next half an hour. The kids were the best though. At one of the family-run restaurants we went to, each one of their 10 or so kids kept walking by our table to say hi, or ask where we were from, or if we wanted anything. I think we were the highlight of their week.
Kokand
The large centre of Kokand was once an important stop on the northern section of Great Silk Road. Caravans travelling on the route stopped to trade in Kokand on their way through Uzbekistan. Like much of Central Asia, the city was destroyed by the Genghis Khan in the 1200s. Because of its location in the fertile Fergana Valley, the city bounced back and by the 18th century it gained prominence again as the capital of the Kokand Khan Dynasty.
Today there aren’t many historical buildings or monuments left from this Dynasty, but we were able to find a couple. Khudayar Khan Palace is set in the middle of a large treed park. The palace is now a museum and it stands out for its colourfully tiled façade. The tilework is quite different from buildings we saw in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva because of its many different colours and patterns.
Inside the museum there are a couple of bedrooms and a crown room on display. They have gorgeous three dimensional, wooden ceilings painted in floral motifs. In addition, the colourful walls are decorated with raised ceramic flowers.
Jome Mosque
The old mosque and its attached madrasah haven’t been restored and don’t have much to see inside. Beside it, however is a more interesting site. There is an old cemetery with two blue domed mausoleums. Surrounding each mausoleum were hundreds of above ground monuments. It may not be a typical tourist site, but we found it a very interesting part of the culture.
Not far from the mosque is Kamol-Kazi Madrasah. It is a humble-looking building, except for the colourful tiles on the entrance.
Somsas (samosas) are a popular snack in Uzbekistan. We were finally able to see how they are cooked when we were walking along the sidewalk in Kokand. The temperature was at least 35° C and the baker was sticking his had deep inside a hot tandoori oven to stick the uncooked samosas on the side. Thirty minutes later we happened to walk by when he was taking them out of the oven. His long basket stripped the somsas off the oven wall, and his wife scraped off the charred bits. It looked like a hot job to have in this hot climate.
There are a lot of parks in Kokand, many had tapchans set in the shade of large trees. Some people would sit on them and talk, others would have picnics and many would take an afternoon nap on them. We saw these daybeds throughout Central Asia.
Margilan
Further east on the train line is the city of Margilan. Between Kokand and Margilan our train passed by hundreds of small and large vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. It seemed so far away from the deserts around Khiva.
Margilan has an interesting connection to India. Babur who became the founder of the Mughul Empire in India, was born in Margilan. Babur was the grandson of Uzbekistan hero Amir Temur. (Read our post about India’s Mughal architecture here.)
Yodgorlik Silk Factory
Margilan is another spot that was prominent during the Great Silk Road. As caravans stopped here they likely would have traded their spices or tea for fine Margilan silk. Historians aren’t sure where they learned the ancient silk producing methods in Margilan, but it was likely brought by skilled silk masters from China.
Margilan is well known for its high quality silk and skill in making fabrics. To see how its done we visited the Yodgorlik Silk Factory. Though it has only been producing silk fabrics since the 1970s, staff use techniques that were passed down over many generations.
At the front of the factory is a small store that sells scarves, clothing and carpets that are made in the factory. It is in what used to be a mosque and to commemorate that, they have left the original ceiling.
The silk process begins by using silkworm cocoons that are picked before the worm has transformed to a butterfly. Workers are able to extract a whopping 2 km of thread from one cocoon. To make one spool of silk thread, 25-30 cocoons are boiled. The thread is then slowly unraveled and spun together to form thread. This thread is quite course so it is boiled again with different natural substrates to create the soft fine thread we think of as silk.
From there, the threads are dyed using mostly natural dyes such as pomegranate, walnut, indigo and sulpher.
The process of making fabric is the most unique part of the ancient techniques used in Margilan. Ikat is the technique where the threads are dyed first and then woven into clothing or rugs. The opposite technique is batik or tie-dye where dyes are applied to a white fabric. Only products that use the Ikat technique can carry the name ‘Khan-Atlas’ (King’s Silk). The patterns used in Margilan are said to be favoured all over the world for their uniqueness and quality.
Fabrics that are not 100% silk are often woven using Soviet built weaving machines. They are easier on the weavers’ bodies than doing it by hand, but they are still a far cry from assembly lines production.
As well as fabric they make carpet made from 100% silk and a mix of cotton and silk. We were surprised at the amount of silk that goes into a carpet. When making silk carpets they tie 100 threads of silk in just one centimeter. The amazing patterns that these women can create by tying on one thread at at time is incredible.
English tours run Monday to Saturday from 10am -5pm for the small fee of 10,000 UZS (80 cents USD).
We had hoped to visit Kumtepa Bazaar to see what other silk products were for sale, but unfortunately the market is only open Thursdays and Sundays.
Khanakokh Mosque
Not far from the factory is the 16th century Khanakokh Mosque. We didn’t plan it, but we arrived as the call to prayer was being announced. We turned to leave but a local man brought us up to a balcony where we could witness the event without interrupting. He even gave us a bottle of water while we waited. After prayers were over we entered the mosque. It’s not an elaborate room, as most prayer rooms are not, but the wooden details on the ceiling were quite interesting.
Uzbek people eat a lot of bread. At every meal we were supplied a large piece of round bread, called non. Sometimes it was an entire round loaf, other times it was cut into smaller pieces. They are so popular we saw many stalls selling it on the sides of busy streets. People would stop to buy several round loaves at once.
For Travel Tips in Uzbekistan read our post from Tashkent.
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Coming Next – A Taxi Ride With A Kyrgyz Man
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