Another Side of Central Asia: Craft Towns, Ancient Legends and Mountain Lakes

Every place here has a story to tell, and discovering the region goes far beyond its best-known sights.

Fergana Valley: Three Cities, Three Stories

Most trips to Uzbekistan revolve around Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. The Fergana Valley often falls off the tourist trail, even though it deserves just as much attention.

Located in eastern Uzbekistan, the valley also extends into parts of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Its cities grew into important trading and craft centres, yet today they attract far fewer visitors than the famous cities along the Silk Road. Meanwhile, Margilan, Rishtan and Kokand are worth a trip in their own right – not just as an addition to a Samarkand and Bukhara itinerary, but as destinations in their own right.

The City of Silk and Ancient Patterns

In Margilan, a pattern takes shape before the threads ever reach the loom. This is how ikat is made: sections of yarn are tied off and dyed in advance, then arranged in a specific order. When the threads are woven together, they form a design with distinctive blurred edges, as if the colours have gently spilled beyond their outlines.

The technique is used to create atlas and adras fabrics. Traditionally, atlas is woven from silk, while adras combines silk and cotton threads.

At the Yodgorlik silk factory, visitors can see how traditional textiles are made and patterns brought to life. Behind designs that may look spontaneous, almost accidental, lies a carefully controlled process of marking, dyeing and arranging the threads.

For a different perspective on the trade, head to Kumtepa Bazaar in Kushtepa District. Atlas and adras are sold here both wholesale and retail. The fabrics are bought for clothing production and resale, making the market a draw not only for individual shoppers but also for textile traders.

Rishtan: The Secrets of Famous Ceramics

If Margilan is known for silk, Rishtan is famous for its ceramics. The local style is easy to recognise: vivid blues and turquoise, botanical motifs and glazed pottery. The colours depend on more than the design alone; the glaze composition and firing conditions play an important role, too.

One traditional glaze is known as ishkor, made from the ash of specific plants. Its precise composition and preparation method affect the finish after firing. This knowledge has been passed down through generations, giving Rishtan ceramics their distinctive character.

Visitors can learn about the craft in workshops where apprentices follow the process from shaping clay to applying decorative patterns. One of the best-known belongs to ceramic artist Rustam Usmanov. Here, visitors can see his work and learn more about the Rishtan school of ceramics. If you would like to take part in a workshop, it is best to arrange this in advance.

Address: 230 B. Ar-Roshidoni Street, Rishtan, Fergana Region, Uzbekistan.

Kokand: The Legacy of a Khanate Capital

In the 19th century, Kokand was the capital of the Kokand Khanate, one of the major states of Central Asia. The city’s former stature is reflected in the Palace of Khudayar Khan, its most prominent architectural landmark.

Completed in 1871, the palace complex covered around four hectares and originally contained 119 rooms. Its façades are decorated with colourful ceramic tiles, while the interiors feature carved ganch plasterwork and intricate ornamentation. Craftspeople were brought in from across the khanate, including ceramicists from Rishtan. In this way, the crafts for which individual towns in the valley are now known became part of the history of its political capital.

Khudayar Khan came to power in 1845, at just 12 years old. His reign was marked by struggles for the throne and conflicts with neighbouring powers. In 1876, the Russian Empire abolished the khanate, and Khudayar Khan was sent to Tashkent.

After the fall of the khanate, the palace lost its original purpose. Two courtyards and 19 rooms have survived, and the building now houses a museum. Khudayar Khan’s throne is kept at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

But Kokand’s story does not begin and end with the palace. The city is also home to the Jami Mosque, with its minaret standing around 22 metres tall, and the Norbutabiy Madrasah, built in the late 18th century. Both monuments predate the palace and recall the period when Kokand was beginning to consolidate its position in the region.

Kyrgyzstan’s Walnut Forests in Autumn

Arslanbob, a mountain village in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad Region, is surrounded by natural walnut forests. Harvesting walnuts remains an important part of local life.

In autumn, residents head into the forest to gather the crop, which is then sorted and sold. This is when the village’s close connection to the changing seasons becomes especially clear. The area is also home to the Big and Small Waterfalls, and visitors can stay in local guesthouses.

The walnut harvest usually takes place in September and October, although the timing can vary depending on the weather and the size of the crop.

Kazakhstan’s Stories Carved in Stone

About 170 kilometres northwest of Almaty, in Almaty Region, lies the Tamgaly petroglyph site. Its rocks preserve around 5,000 petroglyphs created over many different periods, from the second half of the second millennium BCE to the early 20th century.

The carvings depict animals, people and scenes from the lives of pastoral communities. Among the best-known are figures with rays around their heads, which researchers associate with solar symbolism. Traces of settlements and burial complexes have also been found nearby.

Tamgaly was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. Today, the site offers a glimpse into how people inhabited the steppe over thousands of years and left behind traces of their culture.

Iskanderkul: Tajikistan’s Lake of Legends

The name Iskanderkul is linked to Alexander the Great, known in the East as Iskander. In the fourth century BCE, the Macedonian commander conquered Sogdiana, an ancient region of Central Asia. Local legends about the lake are also associated with his name.

According to one tale, Alexander ordered a settlement to be flooded after its residents refused to submit, and a lake formed in its place. Another legend says that his beloved horse, Bucephalus, drowned in its waters.

Nearby, a waterfall around 38 metres high is known as the “Fan Niagara”. For multi-day treks, travellers also head to the Alauddin and Kulikalon lakes. These routes require preparation: altitude, weather and the condition of the mountain passes can all affect how challenging the journey will be.

In Search of Another Central Asia

It is easy to get caught up in the architectural splendour of Samarkand and Bukhara or stick to the region’s familiar tourist routes. But Central Asia extends far beyond its famous landmarks. Beyond them lie craft towns, ancient sites, mountain villages and lakes surrounded by legends.

Sometimes, all it takes to discover Central Asia anew is to venture a little beyond the usual itinerary.