Samarkand paper
Creamy paper made by hand from mulberry bark and burnished with stone — the writing material of Islam’s golden age, revived in the village of Konigil.
Suzani and embroidery
Bold red and black rosettes on a white ground — the Samarkand suzani; alongside it, Urgut’s embroidered skullcaps and the work of today’s needlewomen.
© Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0
A picture drawn with a needle
A suzani (from the Persian suzan, ‘needle’) is a large hand-embroidered hanging worked on cotton or silk. Girls traditionally began stitching them for their dowry when young and brought them to the groom’s house on the wedding day, where they were hung on the wall or spread over the marriage bed. Scholars see the embroideries described in the early 15th century by Ruy González de Clavijo, the Castilian envoy to Timur’s court in Samarkand, as forerunners of the suzani.
The Samarkand style
Uzbek embroidery is usually divided into three great schools — Bukhara, Samarkand and Fergana — with Samarkand work close to that of Tashkent, Jizzakh and Baysun. It is recognisable by its clean, large-scale compositions: big circles and rosettes framed by serrated leaves, in red and black on a white ground. This palette took hold in the late 19th century, replacing earlier raspberry and green tones. Much Samarkand work is done in chain stitch.
Since independence the Samarkand suzani has enjoyed a revival, and the work of local embroiderers now travels to exhibitions abroad.
Urgut and today’s festivals
Urgut district in Samarkand Region is one of the liveliest embroidery centres. Its round piltadoʻzi skullcaps are known for their simple patterns, flowers turned towards the centre and ribbed quilting, and the Urgut bazaar is a favourite hunting ground for suzani collectors. In April 2026 Samarkand hosted the 4th International Embroidery Festival, with more than 110 artisans from across Uzbekistan and neighbouring countries.
Crafts
Crafts
Silk carpets
Hand-knotted carpets of naturally dyed silk — in Samarkand you can follow the whole journey from cocoon to finished rug in a single workshop.
Ceramics
From Afrasiyab bowls lettered in Kufic script to the glazed platters of Urgut’s potters, Samarkand ceramics span more than a thousand years.
Woodcarving
From the patterned doors of Gur-e-Amir and Rukhobod to the pillars of neighbourhood houses, Samarkand’s carvers have cut geometry and arabesque into wood for centuries.
Ganch carving
Snow-white patterns carved in ganch, a mix of gypsum and clay, and the gilded kundal of Tilya-Kori — the inner world of Samarkand’s monuments.
Tiles and majolica
The carved glazed terracotta of Shah-i-Zinda, the mosaics of the Registan portals and the tiles of Gur-e-Amir’s dome — the craft behind Samarkand’s famous blue.
