Margilan, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is known for having quite a few cities with a millennia history. Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand are all on UNESCO World Heritage List. What makes Margilan unique is silk production. The craft that made this city a famous trade center of the Silk Road is still alive. It didn’t disappear with its extraordinary techniques; anyone can observe how silk was made in 10^th century.

Margilan, celebrated its 2000^th anniversary in 2007. The exact date of foundation of Margilan is unknown, yet, it was mentioned as the biggest city in Fergana valley in 10^th century. Margilan was well-known for beautiful fruit gardens and the best silk. There is a legend about invasion of Alexander the Great and how name of the city appeared. When citizens found out about Alexander the Great approaching Margilan, they prepared a red carpet to greet the king. They also made a dish out of chicken and bread for a feast. When Alexander asked about the dish, he heard: "Murginon", that means "chicken and bread". On his way back he tried it again and called the city “Murginion”. The city hasn’t changed its name since then.

One of the most ancient cities in Central Asia used to be the center of silk on the Great Silk Road. Picturesque surroundings of Margilan were the crossroad of trade from China to the West. Great masters kept the technique of excellent silk production in secret. Beautiful silk was exported to the East, Egypt, Greece and Europe through the Silk Road.

Margilan owns the Silk Road its fame and prosperity. Today, Margilan is still the silk capital of Uzbekistan. The ancient technology is still being used for production of famous khan-atlas. Travelers can even see the whole process of making silk from getting cocoons ready to finished fabric. Apart from silk production, Margilan is known for architectural monuments. Worth visiting places are Khonakhah Mosque, Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah, and Complex Pir Siddiq.