Yodgorlik Silk Factory

In Margilan, a key city on the Silk Road in Ouzbékistan, the Yodgorlik factory preserves a thousand-year-old craft. Here, artisans hand-weave the famous atlas and adras, ikat silks with vibrant geometric patterns. The visit allows you to follow each stage of production, from the silkworm cocoon to the finished fabric, in a working workshop.

Practical information at a glance

• Admission : paid (modest fee, usually includes guided tour of the workshop)
• Suggested duration : 1 to 2 hours
• Access : Margilan is accessible from Fergana by shared taxi or marshrutka (minibus) — short journey
• Dress code : no particular clothing restrictions
• Shop : direct sale of fabrics and silk items on site

What to see

The factory is a working workshop, not a museum frozen in time. You observe workers unwinding cocoons in basins of hot water, twisting the threads, then feeding wooden looms operated by hand or foot. The ikat patterns are achieved through a thread-dyeing technique before weaving, which requires remarkable precision.

• Unwinding of silkworm cocoons
• Thread dyeing using ikat technique
• Weaving on traditional wooden looms
• Exhibition of finished pieces: atlas, adras, chapan (embroidered robes)

History and context

Margilan has produced silk since at least the 10th century. The Yodgorlik factory — whose name means "souvenir" in Uzbek — was founded during the Soviet era to preserve artisanal techniques threatened by industrialization. It remains today one of the rare workshops where ikat silk is entirely produced by hand, from raw material to finished fabric.

Uzbek ikat has been inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2021, which has strengthened international interest in places like Yodgorlik.

Highlights of the visit

Cocoon unwinding

The cocoons are plunged into boiling water to soften the sericin. A worker then pulls the continuous thread — up to 1,500 meters per cocoon — with dexterity acquired through years of practice.

Ikat dyeing

The threads are ligated and dyed multiple times to create the pattern before even being mounted on the loom. This is the most complex step: even a slight misalignment is enough to distort the final design.

Hand-loom weaving

The steady rhythm of the shuttles and the clicking of wooden pedals give the workshop a distinctive soundscape. Each weaver produces only a few meters per day.

The shop

The fabrics sold on site are authentic and often less expensive than in town. Rolls of atlas, scarves, chapan and small items make good direct souvenirs from production.

Photography tips

Natural light streams through large windows in the workshops — favor the morning to avoid backlighting. The gestures of the weavers and the colored threads stretched across the looms offer striking compositions. Always ask the workers' permission before photographing them up close.

Location and access

Yodgorlik is located in Margilan, in the Fergana Valley, a few kilometers from Fergana city. From Fergana, shared taxis and marshrutkas regularly serve Margilan. The factory is usually accessible on foot from Margilan's center or by local taxi from the marshrutka stop.

The Fergana Valley concentrates several sites related to crafts: pottery in Rishtan, bustling bazaars in Fergana. Margilan also has a large covered bazaar where silk fabrics are sold wholesale.

In the surrounding area

• Margilan Bazaar — lively market where silk merchants rub shoulders with spices and local produce.
• Rishtan Pottery Workshops — about thirty kilometers away, another artisanal capital of the valley, renowned for its blue and white ceramics.
• Fergana — main city in the valley, convenient departure point for exploring the region.