Margilan

Margilan

Margilan is one of the ancient cities of Fergana valley that keeps silkworm breeding secret. Up to the IX century it was the biggest stop on the Silk Road. According to national legends its history can be traced back to Alexander the Great period.

Margilan is the city of Silk. It is famous with its streamy, iridescent patterned khan-atlas and printed silk fabric. Via the Silk Road Margilan’s silk was taken to Baghdad, Kashgar, Khurasan, Egypt and Greece. It has been many years since Margilan was the capital of silk.

At the end of the 15 – beginning of 16th century Margilan became one of the major cities of the Ferghana Valley. This land is the hometown for one of the great grandchildren of Tamerlane – Zahireddin Bobur. He was the ruler of Ferghana, and then founded in India the State of Great Moguls. Bobur said in his work “Bobur-name” that the city was famous for its fruit orchards, sweet pomegranates and dried apricots. Being buried in vendure, it was a favorite spot of rest for caravans. Since ancient times, it was inhabited by proud and hardworking Sogdian people, famous farmers and horse breeders. But most of all Margilan was famous for its khan-atlas with flowing arabesques of bright patterns.

Almost over 3 centuries – from 1598 to 1876 Margilan was in the structure of the Kokand Khanate. Later, when it was included in Russia, it became a district town. Back in the late 19th century the city was surrounded by adobe walls with towers and twelve fortified gates. The main streets led from the gate to the center of Margilan, where the palace of the governor – Urda and local market were situated. Residential areas were organically combined with religious buildings, very few of which have survived. The most famous ancient monuments in Margilan are the Complex Pir Siddiq, the architectural composition Pir Siddiq, the Mausoleum of Khoja Magiz and many others.

Sights:

Chakar mosque & Toron-Bazar mosque:

Chakar mosque was built on the site of an old, dilapidated buildings of the cult. Only summer part has been preserved from the building, representing closed on three sides aivan with columns. The ceiling has peculiar painting and dissected into rectangular ceiling beams, each of which contains images of original vases with bouquets of flowers on a green or red background. The high decorative cornice of aivan is covered with floral design – shamrocks with red flowers. The delicate combination of colors and decorative compositions plafonds are an example of applied arts of craftsmen of Fergana.

Toron-bazar mosque was built in the late XIX century near the city market. It has a modest decor. In 1936, the mosque was restored and converted into a house of dehkan.

Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah:

The Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah was built at the end of the XIX century. This is one of the “youngest” Margilan monuments, aged a little more than 200 years. The madrasah boasts harmony of the composition, proportionality of the elements and rational design of the building. The basis of the complex is the madrasah itself and a mosque, consisting of a hall and ayvan with painted ceilings.

The Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah does not feature traditional architecture: its design rather combines both oriental and European styles. Thus, its square yard with rows of lancet arches along the perimeter is occupied by the mosque, and surrounded by khujdras – a typical plan for eastern architecture of that kind of buildings. The madrasah was built of brick, but with the local seismic conditions in view, the masters reinforced the walls of the mosque in European style – by two-lane wooden frame, which visually expanded the room interior space.

In 2007, the Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah was reconstructed; the complex was added with a broad road and a garden around it. Old sycamores with spreading crowns and wide ditch running through the madrasah courtyard make shadow and shade in hot days.

The Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah is still functional; the believers study the Koran and Hadith there. Its 26 hujras, where the madrasah students used to live two centuries ago, are occupied now by workshops of local artisans, engaged in weaving, gold embroidery, wood carving and embossing.

Complex Pir Siddiq:

This memorial complex is named after saint Pir Siddiq. The legend says that the saint Pir Siddiq, escaping from the infidels, had hidden in a cave, and pigeons platted nests and bricked the entrance. And when pursuers had reached the cave and saw the pigeons, calmly sitting in their nests, they went by them, deciding that a man could not hide there, otherwise the birds would have shown concern. Thus, the pigeons have saved a saint. Hence the complex has the second name – “Kaptarlik,” which means “dove”.

Pir Siddiq Complex was built in the middle of the XVIII century. With the lapse of time it has been surrounded with an architectural complex including a mosque, minaret, courtyard with a tomb, darvozahona and dovecote.

In the courtyard there is the mausoleum, oriented to the north, in which allegedly the saint Pir Siddiq is buried. Its extended portal is combined with square chamber containing arched headstones – Sagan. Feature of the architectural composition of the mausoleum is the peculiar portal. It is a kind of screen in the shape of decorated wall with slim angled columns, completed domed lights, exceeding the portal. Columns are decorated with carved by ganch geometric pattern.

Margilan Silk Factory:

The factory was established in 1972. Today the factory’s staff numbers about 450 people, the majority of them is women. Every month the factory produces up to 6,000 m of fabric including natural silk and half-silk fabric. The Uzbek silk bears justly a name of khan-atlas – “king silk”, which depending on the manufacturing method is divided into several kinds. This also includes such fabrics as shokhi, bekasam, adras having silk yarn in their base.

The visitors of the factory will be able to watch with their own eyes the whole silk manufacturing process and also buy various silk fabrics and half-silk fabrics.

Please find here the article of Stephanie Mitchel, our tourist, who explored Fergana valley and Yodgorlik silk factory in August 2015. The article was published in May/June edition of the Handwoven magazine.