Yodgorlik silk factory, Margilan

Margilan, in the Fergana Valley, has been a centre of silk production for centuries. The valley’s climate is ideal for mulberry trees, whose leaves feed silkworms, and families across the region have raised silkworms in spring for generations. Margilan’s weavers became famous for ikat, fabric in which the threads are dyed in patterns before weaving, producing the blurred, flame-like designs typical of Central Asian silk.

In the Soviet period, silk production was industrialised in large factories, and hand-weaving declined. The Yodgorlik (“souvenir” or “memory”) factory was established to preserve the traditional methods, and it has become one of the best places in Central Asia to see them.

A tour usually follows the whole process:

1. Cocoons. Silkworm cocoons are boiled in water to loosen the fine silk filament.
2. Reeling. Workers draw the filaments from several cocoons together and wind them onto wheels, creating a single thread. Each cocoon contains a continuous filament hundreds of metres long.
3. Spinning and twisting. The thread is twisted and prepared for dyeing.
4. Tie-dyeing. The most skilled step. The threads are stretched on frames, and the pattern is marked on them. Sections are tightly bound to resist the dye, then the threads are dipped in dye baths, one colour at a time; for each colour the binding is changed. Natural dyes from plants such as madder, pomegranate peel, walnut husks, onion skins and indigo are used alongside modern dyes.
5. Weaving. The dyed threads are arranged on wooden looms, and the pattern appears as the weaver works. Weavers produce atlas (pure silk) and adras (silk and cotton), as well as other fabrics.

Throughout, you can watch the craftspeople at work, take photographs and ask questions through your guide.

Besides silk, the factory has workshops for carpet weaving, with silk and wool carpets knotted by hand, and sometimes embroidery and other crafts. Some workshops make ceramics or traditional clothing.

The factory shop sells ikat scarves, fabric by the metre, cushion covers, clothing and carpets made on site, at fixed prices. Buying here means buying directly from the source. Quality is high, and prices reflect the handwork. Ask about the difference between natural and synthetic dyes, and between pure silk and silk-cotton blends.

For centuries, silk was the most valuable product traded along the routes that later became known as the Silk Road. Silk-making began in China, which kept the secret for a long time. According to a well-known story, silkworm eggs were eventually smuggled west, hidden in a princess’s headdress or in the hollow canes of monks. Whatever the truth, by the early Middle Ages silk was produced in Central Asia, and the Fergana Valley became one of its centres. Margilan merchants traded silk as far as India, Persia and Russia. The patterns of Margilan ikat, with their bold colours and flowing designs, are now recognised worldwide and used by international fashion designers.

Location: in Margilan, in the Fergana Valley, about 15–20 minutes by car from Fergana city.

Tours: guided tours in several languages are usually available; visitors can often walk in without booking, but groups should arrange in advance.

Tickets: a small fee for the tour may apply.

Time needed: about an hour, more if you shop.

Best time: weekday mornings, when most workshops are active. Spring (May) is the silkworm season in the valley, when you may see fresh cocoons arriving.

Combine with: the Kumtepa bazaar on market days and the ceramic workshops of Rishtan. See our Fergana Valley itinerary.