Things to see and do Ferghana Valley

The visits of this workshop are free and allow to follow all the stages of silk manufacturing. We start with the shed where the cocoons are kept in whole bags and where the workers make a first sorting according to the size, the quality, the state of the cocoons, before sending them to the next step. The boiling is done in large pots, after they have been preheated in the oven. The purpose of the operation is to free the thread of all the glue which maintains the cocoon in its shape. The chrysalis dies during this operation, without the cocoon having been damaged to remove it. The thread can then be unwound before being woven into carpets and fabrics, and then dyed. The colors used are from natural products (onion peels, pomegranate, turquoise, ladybugs ...). 200 people work in the factory, producing 50 to 60,000 m of silk each year, but can increase production to 200,000 m if necessary. The most interesting - and beautiful - part of the visit is to see the traditional looms, which are all between 100 and 200 years old. The workers there are only asked to weave the best quality fabrics. They will give you a demonstration without any problem. You can also ask to see the more modern workshops, where much of the work is mechanized. At the entrance, a store sells fabrics and rugs. Prices are obviously much higher than in the bazaar.

The construction of the palace of Khudaiar Khan, the last khan of Kokand, took 11 years from 1863 to 1873. It mobilized no less than 16,000 workers and 80 craftsmen from Rishtan, Samarkand and other cities in the country. Five years later, the Russians destroyed most of it. The building had a large enclosure with twelve gates bearing the names of the cities to which they led.

The palace is now reached by a paved road that leads up to a monumental gate flanked by two fine turrets. The long façade of the building is entirely decorated with glazed bricks, which owe much to the restorers. The majolica on the left wing were made by craftsmen from Namangan and Andijan, those on the right by craftsmen from Kokand. All the courtyards were renovated after 2010.

Originally, the palace had 7 courtyards and 114 rooms, which is as many suras as the Koran counts. Only 4 courtyards and 19 rooms remain today, most of which have been converted into showrooms.

The visit usually begins in the left wing of the palace, where the former reception hall of the khan used to be. It is decorated from floor to ceiling in the traditional Uzbek style. A model of the palace shows the harem (the khan had 43 wives) which was destroyed during the Soviet takeover of Kokand. Admire the quality of the decorations. On the top right, you will notice a darker space: these are the original, unrenovated colours. Guests entered the reception hall through a small room to the north, where the khan's secretary was located. The complex overlooks a sumptuous inner courtyard bordered by a magnificent 15th century iwan from a mosque built by Tamerlan at Chakhimardan. On the eastern flank, the wooden posts supporting the iwan are new. The original posts are exposed under the south iwan, itself supported by original wooden columns.

It is said that the khan liked to have the heads of his enemies brought to him and stacked at the foot of one of the pillars of this iwan. Of these warlike customs, only two cannons remain: the first, short and artistically twisted, is a local production of the 18th century; the second, long and thin, comes from China and was taken from the enemy during the war of 1840 against the Kashgar khanate.

In the southwest corner of the courtyard, a small reception room housed Khudaiar Khan's secret talks. It is decorated with 114 different motifs, as many as there were rooms in the original palace.

The other wings of the palace, especially those where European diplomats and dignitaries were received, have been transformed into a museum. There are various archaeological finds from the valley, as well as interesting photographs of the construction of the Ferghana Canal and the excavation of the 47 tombs of the village of Pap. Other areas are devoted to the weaponry of the Timurid period, but also exhibit some rifles and two unusual French and Italian shields from the 15th century which were donated to the museum on the occasion of an exhibition in 1924.

A second and then a third inner courtyard lead to the old mosque and other rooms with ceilings decorated in the traditional style. They are transformed into showrooms. In the last room, you can take a look at Khudaiar Khan's diary.

In the cemetery, the Modari Khan Mausoleum, built in 1825, houses the remains of Omar Khan's mother, who died only seven years after her son and always remained very close to power, while successfully and popularly indulging in poetry. The monument is surmounted by a blue dome and its portal imitates, in miniature, that of the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand. It is therefore mainly women who go on pilgrimage to this tomb and, as elsewhere, go around the grave three times to obtain health, happiness or fertility.

The Dakhma-i-Chakhan Mausoleum (or Tomb of the Kings) is more imposing and colourful than the other funerary monuments in the cemetery. Built in the 1820s, it houses the tombs of Omar Khan, his sons and brother. Restored in 1970, it combines styles that illustrate the talents of the three khanates of Uzbekistan: the woodwork of Khiva, the paintings of the Ferghana and the ornaments of Bukhara. An old tree at the entrance, planted at the time of its construction, provides shade for passing pilgrims who come to collect themselves.

The old cemetery of Kokand is a magical place, especially when you get lost in the finissante day. The screams of the swifts are then the only ones to disturb the absolute calm there. The graves, for most simple whitewashed monuments, appear to be arranged randomly. We walk here quietly, asking from time to time under a tree. The tombs with pastel colours, sometimes blue or pink, indicate early death. It is in this cemetery that you will see the magnificent tombs listed below.

One of the most beautiful monuments in the city! Built by Omar Khan between 1809 and 1812, its style is monumentally reminiscent of the style of the mosques at iwan. 99 wooden pillars, a veritable forest, support a ceiling with woodwork painted with traditional motifs. It is said that 100 elephants left India to bring back the precious wood from the pillars. One elephant died en route, so there are only 99 to support the awning. The total length of the iwan is 100m. In the middle of the courtyard rises the minaret, which is 22 m high.

Behind the Tomb of the Kings, this white tombstone commemorates Nadira, Omar Khan's wife. This is the opportunity to discover this poetess who lived from 1792 to 1842 (she was murdered by the Emir of Bukhara when he took over the city). After the death of her sovereign husband in 1822, she ruled the Khanate of Kokand. She is known for her poems written in both Uzbek and Persian. This slab is the object of pilgrimage by many women.

Visit one of the most famous cutlery shops in Uzbekistan. The traditional Uzbek knife is called the pitchok. It's said to protect against wounds and the devil. It is often stored in a black leather sheath decorated with bright colours. You will find them everywhere in Uzbekistan: on the Chorsu bazaar in Tashkent or in the merchant domes of Bukhara. But of course, nothing is better than watching the manufacturing process in the company of the blacksmith, choosing, negotiating and buying your knife directly on the spot, from the hands of the craftsman!

In this workshop we make the tioupés, the small caps that all Uzbeks wear and whose motifs define their region of origin. There are classic models and others, more elaborate, made of fabric or enhanced with silk or velvet, for ceremonies. The special feature of Choust skullcaps is that they can be folded up and stored neatly in one's pocket, like an origami. They take up no more space than a mobile phone and Uzbeks take great care of them.

This is where the people of Ferghana come to get some coolness on the hottest days. A little higher up is the tomb of "Grandfather Satkat", on the very spot where he fought against the hordes of Genghis Khan who swept over his country. He repulsed the first attacks of the Mongols but this did not prevent them from breaking into his camp one night and killing him to end the resistance. The tomb is a small place of pilgrimage, next to which an imam prays for visitors who come to pay their respects.

The site of Bibi Seshanbe is located next to the village of Sultanabad. People come here on pilgrimage for its sacred water sources, below a small mausoleum. Around it, a pleasant park offers a cool walk. Families and pilgrims come here to spend the day, especially during the hot weather, because the place always remains cool, thanks to the springs. One lingers for selfies around the springs before joining in family a tchaikhana which makes it possible to be restored and to spend a pleasant moment around a takhtan.

Leaving Khodjaobad in the direction of the Kyrgyz mountains, Oman Ota is a place of pilgrimage and resort appreciated by the inhabitants of the region. People come to pray in a small mausoleum whose origin is not clear but which is very popular with women who come there to pray for pregnancy. All around, chaikhanas welcome whole families and groups of friends. Overhanging, the young lovers climb a small mountain up to a cave. There, out of sight, they can contemplate the horizon and make a wish

Here you are at the end of the country: Karasu is a city straddling Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. There is no evidence of a shift from one to the other in architecture or urban planning. At the end of the main street, the border is only 10 meters away. You will find the workshop of one of the master cutlers of the city. With his son, they make the best pitchok in the region: the workshop has been recognized for 4 generations. Here the most traditionalist practices persist: one comes across women, or rather their silhouettes, wearing paranja.

Built after independence on the site of a 16th-century mosque, the Khonakah Mosque can accommodate up to 6,000 worshippers for the Great Friday Prayer between noon and 1 p.m. At the entrance, the two minarets are 26 m high. Non-Muslims may enter and admire the woodwork and paintings that adorn the mosque, but will be kindly dismissed during prayer. Make sure you take off your shoes and wear a suitable outfit (legs and long sleeves, head scarf for women and of course no skirt).

Shorofidin comes from one of the oldest artisan families of Rishtan, of which he represents the sixth generation. Today he passes on his knowledge to his grandson. During the visit of the workshop you will be able to watch a 10-minute film shot in 1985 by the Russian director Malik Kayumov. The star at the time was Shorofidin's father. He was mainly concerned with the elaboration of motifs and you will find decorated ceramics like nowhere else.

Uvaysiy, whose real name was Jahon Otin, was a woman of letters and poetess born in Marguilan at the end of the 18th century. Her talent, noticed by the wife of the Khan of Kokand, earned her lodging in the palace where she taught letters to the Khan's daughters. It was only after the death of the khan that Uvaysiy was able to return to Marguilan, where she ended her days writing poetry. The reconstructed house-museum houses a few books and photos. The only witness of the period is a mulberry tree, several centuries old, standing between the entrance and the iwan on the façade.

The old Akhunbabaev museum has the merit of going beyond traditional patterns, including presentation of stuffed animals and some pictures of duelling. The exhibition presents the first traces of prehistoric habitation of the city before illustrating the history of the kingdom of Davan and then the "golden age" of Marguilan, obviously corresponding to the period of Soviet occupation. There will be a silk weaving machine, as well as traditional and ceramic clothing from the region.

The former Governor's Gardens have been redeveloped into a municipal park and Mustakillik Avenue, which borders it, into a pedestrian street. This is where the department stores, banks and post office are located. The park is a walking area where you can breathe surprisingly well, almost forgetting that you are in the country's second largest industrial city. It is common to see wedding convoys passing by, taking photographs in front of the gigantic statue of Al-Ferghani, a local scientist known for his work in astronomy.

A very classic regional museum, with an exhibition of regional objects from the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous reconstructions from the prehistoric era to cotton cultivation, some unavoidable stuffed animals in very poor condition, a three-dimensional map of the Ferghana valley... The most interesting pieces are old black and white photos of the Soviet conquest and the Andijan revolt. On the second floor, don't miss a room dedicated to handicrafts, especially Rishtan ceramics.

In this cemetery lies, to the left about thirty metres from the entrance, the French explorer in Central Asia, Joseph Martin, who died in Ferghana in 1892. Falling in love with the steppe, he undertook explorations in Siberia. His work earned him many distinctions in France and Russia. In 1888, he made his third trip, but contracted malaria between Lanzhou and Hotan. It was almost blind that he finally joined Marguilan and Ferghana. He was rushed to hospital, but could not be saved and died on May 23, 1892.