The Instants of Eternity, an unusual ethno-cultural performance staged by the theatre of historical costume, will be a nice complement to your guided tour of Samarkand. During the show the actors demonstrate the costumes of different historical periods in Uzbekistan, from the Bronze Age to the present day.
There you can see clothes worn by the Saka and Massageatae, Zoroastrians, Persian and Sogdian rulers and noblemen and others. The theatre’s collection includes a wide range of colourful garments from the Timurid period, as well as traditional clothes from all of the present-day regions of Uzbekistan.
Every item is an exact copy of an original reproduced from the clothes in major museums around the world, such as the Hermitage, Museum of Natural History in Milan, UK Museum of Natural History, Royal Institute of Arts and History in Brussels, Institute of Oriental Studies under the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation and Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, from the bas-relief and frescoes in Persepolis, Afrosiab and Penjikent, old miniatures by Behzod, historical chronicles Shakh Name, Bobur Name, Zafar Name and others. The materials used for the production of the clothes included various coarse and handmade fabrics, animal skins, leather, silk, velvet and brocade. Currently, the theatre’s collection comprises around 200 unique sets of clothes.
The performance consists of eleven dramatised episodes. The soundtracks include fragments of pieces of classical Uzbek music played on the ney, gijak, dutar and doyra, potpourris of oriental melodies performed by musicians from Uzbekistan and abroad, and modern sonic effects, such as sounds of wildlife, battles, clashing swords, treading and neighing horses and others.
The theatre is located in the heart of Samarkand, in a historical building that can seat up to 90 spectators. The theatre also features a small and cosy teahouse, where one can have some rest and drink a cup of tea with traditional oriental sweets. The visitors can also try on the costumes and be photographed in them.
