Ancient and Unique Uzbekistan: The Fergana Region I

The Museum of Fine Arts is housed in a building in the style of European architecture from 1912. Until 1920, the first floor of the building housed the company store of the Russian industrialist Savva Morozov, and the upper floor was occupied by a branch of the Azov-Don Bank of Russia. Until 1982, the building housed a branch of the State Bank.

The Museum of Fine Arts. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In 1982, the Bukhara Museum of Fine Arts was opened here. The exhibition “Painting and Graphics of the Artists of Bukhara” was created on the basis of a collection of paintings, graphics, and sculptures from the funds of the Bukhara Museum. The collection includes paintings by famous artists of the 20th century. The pride of the museum collection is 28 miniatures of the People’s Master of Bukhara, the talented miniaturist Sadriddin Pochchaev. A special place in the collection is occupied by the works of contemporary talented artists, sculptors, graphic artists, and masters of decorative and applied arts.
Another museum has found a place in one of the most beautiful palaces in Bukhara. The Bukhara Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts is located in the Sitorai Mokhi Khossa palace complex. The palace of the rulers of Bukhara is located 4 km north of the city center and is a garden of about 7 hectares with flower beds, alleys, vineyards, orchards, and a zoological garden.
The best Bukhara craftsmen were involved in the construction of the palace.

The Sitorai Mokhi Khossa palace complex. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Here you can see the following exhibitions:
– “Interior of the Summer Palace”. In the main building, visitors can see palace furniture of the 19th-20th centuries, Chinese and Japanese porcelain of the 14th-20th centuries, palace art objects from Russia, jewelry of famous Bukhara masters, gold embroidery panels, and blankets.
– “Clothes of a Bukhara citizen of the late XIX – early XX century”. The exhibition is located in the center of the garden, in an octagonal pavilion that served as a guest house. At the exhibition, you will see samples of everyday and festive clothes of Bukhara citizens, gold embroidery samples of outerwear, belts, scarves, and shoes.
– “Artistic embroidery and household utensils of Bukhara of the late XIX – early XX century.” In the southern part of the garden, there is a palace building, which is a two-story mansion with a glazed greenhouse, a gazebo, and a pond.
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The Sitorai Mokhi Khossa palace complex.This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Bukhara school of decorative embroidery is a unique and brightest phenomenon of the embroidery art of Uzbekistan. The exposition demonstrates samples of decorative embroideries Suzani, prayer rugs, headdresses, jewelry for women’s dresses, handbags, purses, bags for mirrors, men’s belt scarves, and other items of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Bukhara is one of the few cities where not only almost all types of architectural structures erected from the 9th to the 20th centuries have been preserved, but also the traditions of folk applied art that have become the property of the entire Uzbek people. Here, in one of the largest centers of Uzbekistan, for more than one millennium, highly artistic gold embroidery and silk-weaving products of Bukhara masters have been famous far beyond the borders of the republic.

Gold sewing center in Bukhara. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
A striking example of this is the satin and adras made in Bukhara. These are silk fabrics, woven according to ancient technologies. The bright colors of satin and adras continue to adorn their owners with their multi-color.
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Satin dress. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Satin and adras fabrics made in Bukhara have their own distinctive features, unusual patterns, and colors.
The Uzbek word “atlas” (“satin”) comes from Arabic and means “smooth”. You can feel a smooth, glossy surface when you touch the fabric.
As a rule, satin is a silk fabric with a special weave of silk threads. This weave is called a weft – a transverse system of directing parallel threads in the fabric. The weft technique comes out to the front surface through five or more warp threads. It is thanks to this technology that the fabric becomes shiny and smooth.
Many beautiful patterns were used to decorate fabrics. Such a special pattern as “Lyali-Guli Donachanok” was used to decorate women’s shirts and blankets.
The name “khan-atlas”, familiar to many connoisseurs of fabrics, means “khan” or “royal silk”. This is due to the fact that only women from the khan family could afford such a luxurious fabric.

Satin fabrics. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Adras – semi-silk fabric, as a rule, consists of 50% silk and 50% cotton. The fabric can be decorated with Gissar or Abra ornaments, or patterns “doiragul” or “kuzagul” – water lilies. The adras pattern is arranged in three rows longitudinally. The main colors of the patterns are red and yellow on a white background. Oval-shaped patterns are filled with purple, yellow, and blue lines. In the center, burgundy-red water lilies are arranged in yellow ovals. Adras is different to the touch from satin. It is more practical to wear.
To the touch, adras differs from atlas. It is also more practical when worn.
A huge assortment of fabrics is presented in Bukhara. At one of the oldest and most famous bazaars in Bukhara “Trading domes,” you can buy products from atlas and adras, magnificent in beauty and quality. These are national clothes, accessories, wardrobe items, and modern clothing options with elements of satin and adras patterns, as well as household products, tablecloths, souvenir dolls, jewelry, covers, pillowcases, bags, and much more.
In the historical center of Bukhara, not far from the Ulugbek madrasah, there is a unique architectural structure. This is the Abulazizkhan madrasah, which today houses the Museum of Artistic Wood Carving.

The Museum of Artistic Wood Carving. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The museum exposition in the madrasah was opened in 1988. The museum’s collection of wooden products includes 1316 items, among which there are many unique exhibits. The collection was completed during the 90-year history of the museum through the collecting work of its employees.
It includes fragments of the architectural and decorative design of civil and religious buildings, interior items, household, and religious items, educational supplies, children’s toys, as well as musical instruments from the period of the XIV-XX centuries.
The exposition presents dervish staffs (XIX century), boxes, carved doors, shutters, decorative tables, heaps for fabrics made of pear wood (XIX-XX centuries), Iranian frames for mirrors, decorative lattices for mashrabiya windows of the late XIX century.
One of the remarkable architectural monuments of Bukhara is the Ulugbek madrasah. It was built by order of Ulugbek and not only in Bukhara, but also in the cities of Samarkand and Gijduvan. The Ulugbek madrasah in Bukhara was rebuilt in 1417 and forms a single ensemble with the Abdulazizkhan madrasah. The madrasah was built by the master Ismail, the son of Takhir, an Isfahan. There was an inscription on the gate leaf that said that “the pursuit of knowledge is the duty of every Muslim and Muslim woman.” This madrasah was the center of secular scientific thought, lectures on theology, astronomy, philosophy, and mathematics were read in its classrooms.

Bukhara Museum of the History of Calligraphy. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Nowadays, the madrasah houses the Bukhara Museum of the History of Calligraphy. Its exposition includes samples of calligraphic writing – kit’a, books rewritten by famous calligraphers of Bukhara, writing materials, fragments of earthenware with the remains of Arabic script (X-XII centuries), as well as a jug decorated with epigraphy (XV century).

The Bukhara State Museum of Monuments and the Museum of Local Lore. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The famous Ark Fortress (IV-III centuries BC – XX century) is the most ancient monument of archeology, history, and culture. Until 1920, the fortress was the residence of the rulers of Bukhara. The total area of ​​the fortress is 3.9 hectares. The main entrance with the gates of the 19th century, the Jome palace mosque of the 18th century, the Kushbegi courtyard, the Prime Minister of the Bukhara Emirate of the 19th century, the throne room of the 17th century, the courtyard of greetings, and the stable courtyard have survived in the fortress. At present, the fortress houses the head office of The Bukhara State Museum of Buildings, as well as the expositions of the Museum of Local Lore.

The Jome Mosque. This photo is courtesy of the Head Department of Tourism and Sports of Bukhara Region of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.