Margilan — Uzbekistan
Highlights
Yodgorlik Silk Factory
The largest hand-silk operation in Central Asia, founded in 1972 specifically to keep manual production methods alive — a full tour walks through every stage, from steaming and unwinding silk cocoons (some producing close to a kilometer of thread each) through to the traditional ikat dyeing technique and final weaving on old wooden looms. Arriving early in the morning generally means seeing every stage of production actually running.
Khonakhan Mosque
The oldest religious structure still standing in the Fergana Valley, built in the 16th century and still standing despite numerous earthquakes since.
Kumtepa Bazaar
A Sunday market a short way outside the center — genuinely local, with far fewer tourists than the bazaars in Samarkand or Bukhara, and a real sense of the everyday Fergana Valley trading culture that's kept the region's silk industry alive for two millennia.
Walking the Silk Factory Myself
I went through the Yodgorlik factory in the afternoon and watched the whole chain by hand — cocoon to unwinding, natural dyeing, and weavers working the wooden looms. Entry was 35,000 so'm. I bought a silk scarf for my mother on the way out. From the city I took a shared minibus onward to Andijan.
Through this whole Fergana loop I travelled with Tsunaki, a friend from Japan — more on that friendship in a later piece.
Practical Tips
- The Yodgorlik factory tour is best done early (8-9am) to see all production stages active.
- Margilan is a short hop from most other Fergana Valley cities — regular shared taxis connect it to Fergana, Kokand, Andijan, and Namangan.
Evergreen Guest House
