Carpets of Uzbekistan

Along with industrial carpet factories (in Khiva, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Ferghana valley) in almost all regions of Uzbekistan, there are many small carpet workshops where the masters weave carpets by hand. Home carpet making is also widely developed.

 

Carpets differ in color and ornament depending on the region of Uzbekistan. For example, black, red and blue tones are more prevalent in Samarkand carpets. Long-pile Bukhara carpets are full of multicolored patterns. In the Ferghana valley, carpets have red and blue stripes. Specifics of Khiva carpets are plant patterns. Carpets with the image of the sun, amulets-tumors and horns of argali have a magical meaning and are designed to protect its owner from harm and bring good luck and prosperity to the house. An Oriental carpet can be compared to a good wine - the older it is, the higher its value.

 

Mostly carpets in Uzbekistan are usually woven from wool, cotton, and much less often from silk threads. Carpets are divided into several types according to the length of the pile: long-pile carpets "julhirsa", short-pile carpets "gilam" and lint-free carpets "palas".

 

One of the oldest types of carpet weaving in Uzbekistan is koshma (felt carpet). Nomads used felt carpets to insulate their yurts (portable frame dwellings). Usually felt was painted in white, gray and dark brown colors.

 

Special attention should be paid to silk carpets of Uzbekistan. Their production requires special patience and skill of masters. High-quality silk carpets can have up to 1,000,000 knots per square meter, and creating double-sided carpets sometimes takes up to 2 years of painstaking work. 

Silk carpet. Production of silk carpets is being revived in Samarkand. The Uzbek-Afghan joint venture "Afgan-Bukhara-Samarkand" was established here, the main goal of which is to improve the production of silk carpets in Uzbekistan. The entire production process - uncoiling cocoons, making dyes, dyeing threads, and finally textiles-takes place at the enterprise itself. We use only natural dyes of local origin - green peel of walnut, pomegranate, madder (Ruyan), the color of the yellow Larkspur (isparak). Carpets are woven on vertical and horizontal looms. Sizes are in the limits of 3 m by 1.5 m. The density of weaving is from 600-800 thousand to 1 million 200 thousand nodes per 1 sq. m., the length of the pile does not exceed 2 mm. The finished carpet is extremely thin and at the same time durable. The quality of the work is very high, but the main thing is the decorative character of the material itself, that is why the silk carpet is valued so highly. Silk carpets are also produced in Bukhara, Margilan, and Khiva.

 

Here in Uzbekistan, you can buy one of these magnificent carpets, which will serve not only as a decoration for your home, but also provide comfort, filling your home with good luck and prosperity.