Kumtepa bazaar, Margilan

The Fergana Valley is the most densely populated and one of the most traditional regions of Uzbekistan. Its weekly markets are where rural life meets commerce: farmers sell produce, craftspeople sell their work, and families come to shop, eat and meet friends. Kumtepa, a few kilometres from the centre of Margilan, is one of the best known. Unlike the city bazaars, which are open every day, it comes fully alive on market days, when thousands of people arrive by car, bus and cart.

• Silk and textiles. Bolts of atlas and adras ikat in bright colours, scarves, dresses, robes and fabrics for traditional clothes. Prices are local and often lower than in tourist shops, though quality varies.
• Skullcaps (duppi), especially the black-and-white Chust style typical of the valley, and embroidered caps.
• Clothing: traditional dresses, quilted robes (chapan) and modern clothes.
• Bread: stacks of round loaves and rich patyr flatbreads from the valley’s bakeries.
• Fruit and vegetables: depending on the season, apricots, cherries, grapes, melons, pomegranates and persimmons.
• Spices, dried fruit and nuts.
• Household goods: cauldrons for plov, ceramics, tools, cradles and quilts.

The atmosphere is as much an attraction as the goods: crowds of people in traditional dress, vendors calling out, tea and snacks everywhere. Photographers love it.

The bazaar is busiest on Thursdays and Sundays, the main market days, from early morning until around midday. On other days it is much quieter, with only a few stalls. Check the current schedule locally, as market days can change.

• Arrive early, around 7–9 am, when trading is most active and before the heat.
• Photography: most people are happy to be photographed, but always ask, especially women.
• Bargaining: expected; ask the price, offer less, settle with good humour.
• Valuables: crowded areas call for care with bags and phones.
• Dress: modest clothing is appropriate in this conservative region.
• Cash: bring small notes in soum; cards are rarely accepted.
• Guide: a local guide helps with bargaining, translation and finding the best sections.

Much of the silk sold at Kumtepa comes from small family workshops in Margilan and surrounding villages, where looms stand in courtyards and whole families take part in the work. Factory-made fabrics with ikat-style prints are also common and much cheaper. Learning to tell them apart is part of the fun: hand-woven ikat has slightly blurred, irregular edges to its patterns and the same design on both sides, while printed fabrics show the pattern clearly only on one side.

The bazaar is also a meeting place: many people come as much for news and conversation as for shopping. Find a teahouse at the edge of the market, order tea and bread, and watch the crowds.

Location: on the outskirts of Margilan, a short taxi ride from the centre and about 20–30 minutes from Fergana city.

Tickets: free.

Time needed: 1–2 hours.

Combine with: the Yodgorlik silk factory in Margilan to see how the silk sold at the bazaar is made, and the ceramic workshops of Rishtan. See our Fergana Valley itinerary and Fergana Valley food.

Each town in the valley has its bazaar, and many villages hold weekly markets. The central bazaar of Margilan, the bazaars of Kokand, Andijan and Namangan, and the knife-makers’ market of Chust are all worth exploring. Compare them with Chorsu bazaar in Tashkent, the country’s most famous market.