Margilan Crafts Development Center is located in the city of Margilan, Ferghana Valley of Uzbekistan. Located on the caravan routes of the Great Silk Road, Margilan was once an important venue for commerce and cultural exchanges. Since III century AD, masters of Margilan continuously worked on improvement of silk fabrics, which, at the time, were delivered by merchants to various destinations in Europe and Asia.
The Crafts Development Center was
established in 2007 in Margilan in cooperation with UNESCO Tashkent
Office. Its main aim is revitalization, safeguarding, development and
transmission of Uzbek traditional atlas- and adras-making. The
Government provided with the restored building of Sayid Akhmad Khoja
madrassah, which is now home for the center. Following masters represent
the Margilan Crafts Development Center: Rasuljon Mirzaakhmedov and
Rakhimjon Mirzaakhmedov (9th generation representatives), Alisher
Akhmadaliev and Makhmudjon Tursunov (3rd generation representatives),
Sherzodjon Goziyev (2nd generation representative).
Today more than 500 skillful masters are
dealing with adras, beqasam and ikat weaving in Margilan. Approximately
3000 people, representing the families or apprentices of masters, are
involved as assistants. Masters of the Center contributed to
revitalization of different aspects of ancient ikat making and natural
dyeing as well as other textile schools. Among them it is possible to
mention the old design of Bukhara silk-velvet ikat – "A'lo Bakhmal", for
which Rasuljon Mirzaakhmedov was awarded UNESCO's "A Seal of
Excellence" (2005).
The Center concluded a cooperation
agreement with National Crafts College located in Margilan. This allows
organizing practical sessions for about 100 young people annually on
learning the secrets of ancient atlas- and adras-making, technologies of
natural dyeing, to enhance their skills and creativity.
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