TASHKENT SHOPPING
Abulkasim Medressa
Close to the Oliy Majlis in Navoi Park, this medressa has been turned into an artisans’ school and workshop where local wood carvers, lacquerware makers, metal workers and miniature painters ply and teach their craft. It’s a great place to buy the fruits of their labour, plus souvenirs such as suzani, rospic (lacquer boxes)and ceramics.
Tezykovka Bazaar
The local, vast flea market of Tezykovka Bazaar is also known as Yangiobod Market. This sombre sea of junk – ‘everything from hedgehogs to jackets’ as one resident put it – is located in the Khamza District, and reached by bus 30 from the Mustaqillik Maydoni metro. Keep a close watch on your purse or wallet in this or any bazaar.
CLOTHING IN TASHKENT
Human House
This shop not only has carpets, skull caps, suzani and textiles from various Uzbek provinces, but it also doubles as one of Tashkent’s most fashionable boutiques, featuring modern clothing infused with Uzbek styles and designs. Tours of the factory are available by appointment.
MARKET IN TASHKENT
Mirobod Bazaar
A fiesta of fruit bathing in the teal-green glow of its giant, octagonal flying saucer of a roof.
ANTIQUES IN TASHKENT
Chorsu Antiques
It’s not one but rather several antique shops nestled amid a row of hardware and trinket shops behind Chorsu Bazaar. There are some suzani of exceptional quality here, but you’ll want to haggle hard.
DEPARTMENT STORE IN TASHKENT
Toshkent Univermagi
It doesn’t have the atmosphere of the bazaars, but for the best prices and a surprisingly good selection of silk by the metre, try this old Soviet-style department store.
BOOKS IN TASHKENT
Knizhny Mir
This bookshop has a decent map selection along with a smattering of English-language classics.
MARKET IN TASHKENT
Oloy Bazaar
Lacks the character of Chorsu, but locals say it has the best, if priciest, produce.
CARPETS IN KHIVA
Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop
Apprentice carpet makers hand-weave silk rugs patterned after Khiva-style majolica tiles, doors and miniature paintings. There’s lots of natural-dyed silk hanging around and you can watch women work the looms.
CARPETS IN BUKHARA
Tim of Abdulla Khan
For carpets, you couldn’t ask for a better shopping atmosphere than at the silk-weaving centre in this late-16th-century building, located near Taki-Telpak Furushon Bazaar (a tim was a general market).
MARKET IN BUKHARA
Shahriston Market
The virtually tourist-free Shahriston Market is in a large courtyard, where locals trade jewellery, carpets, clothing and other handicrafts among themselves and relative bargains can be had compared to things on sale down the street in the traveller-oriented covered markets.
CARPETS IN BUKHARA
Unesco Carpet Weaving Shop
This no longer has anything to do with Unesco (which helped them launch in 2001), but you can still observe weavers here hand making pricey silk carpets and suzani with unique Bukhara designs.
ARTS & CRAFTS IN BUKHARA
Bukhara Artisan Development Centre
Here you can watch artisans at work on a variety of handicrafts including suzani, miniature paintings, jewellery boxes and chess sets.
MARKET IN SAMARKAND
Siob Bazaar
Around and behind Bibi-Khanym, the frenetic, colourful main market Siob Bazaar is a great place for vegetarians and photographers, and may reward silk and souvenir hunters as well. You can also change money here, on the far side of the market near Rudaiky, the main road.
CARPETS IN SAMARKAND
Samarkand-Bukhara Silk Carpets Showroom
Samarkand-Bukhara Silk Carpets has a Registan-based showroom with its trademark high-quality woven silk tapestries and suzani carpets on display.