Shopping in Uzbekistan - markets, crafts and shopping tips

Shopping in Uzbekistan - a real pleasure! We don't usually do much shopping when we travel, but in Uzbekistan it's impossible not to. Silks, carpets, embroidery, porcelain... You'll find amazing colours and beautiful patterns.

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Markets in Uzbekistan

There are plenty of markets in Uzbekistan, and this is perhaps the most fun place to shop. In addition, there are shopping streets, shops and market stalls in many other parts of the cities. We visited three markets, in Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent.

Siab Bazaar in Samarkand

I Samarkand there is a big, lovely market called Siab Bazaar. You can find everything from food and spices to clothes, crafts and bicycles. Last time we were here we bought all sorts of things: dried fruit, nuts and embroidered jackets. This time we were content to look around, take photos and buy a bottle of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Wow, so good!

Farmers Market in Bukhara

I Bukhara we visited Farmers market, which is an exciting food market filled with meat, vegetables, fruit, spices, pastries, nuts and everything else. Here we tried "kurt" - small balls of fermented milk - which were not our favourites at all. But it was interesting! For shopping for clothes and crafts, it is instead the old town of Buchara that applies.

Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent

I the capital Tashkent we visited a huge market called Chorsu Bazaar. You can find everything here, in different departments: meat, vegetables, clothes, shoes, jewellery ... Here we checked out traditional bread baking, tried deep-fried fast food (for 3 crowns) and shopped for an embroidered garment.

Shopping in Uzbekistan - this is what you can shop for

So, what can you shop for as a tourist in Uzbekistan? The most popular is shopping for silk products and handicrafts. Here are some tips!

Products of the site

Uzbekistan is located along the famous The Silk Road, which in the Middle Ages served as a network of caravan routes between China and Europe, through Central Asia. Even today, silk products are very popular here.

We visited, among others Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets, where you can buy amazing rugs and shawls. Here the products are often a bit more expensive than in the markets, but I guess it is also better quality. The first time we were here we bought a silk shawl for about 55 euros, which is absolutely amazing.

Silk scarves are one of the most common products, but there are also many different garments made from silk.

In Uzbekistan, it is extremely popular among women to wear a long garment that looks like a long thin 'coat', without buttons, usually in beautiful colours. The garment (which can be silk or thicker fabric) can be worn on top of a dress, or perhaps combined with something simple like jeans and a t-shirt. Our group bought a whole bunch of these!

Handwoven carpets

Another thing that is big in Uzbekistan is hand-woven carpets, that is, real carpets. If you want to learn more about the noble art of carpet weaving, it's worth visiting Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets in Samarkand, where you can also buy small or large rugs.

We had a 'lesson' in how to tell the difference between the real thing and the fake, which was very interesting. This is not easy, we can say, but it is about studying the knots on the back of the carpet. In any case, we can say that people around the world should have a healthy sceptical attitude...

Textiles with embroidery

Another thing to shop for in Uzbekistan is embroidered textiles. The patterns and colours are often stunning and you can browse through tablecloths, cushion covers, clothing and much more.

Hats and caps

Here and there you can see the traditional Uzbek headdresses, which come in different varieties for men and women respectively.

Buchara also sells lots of lovely fluffy fur hats.

Ceramics

One of the most popular things to shop for in Uzbekistan is ceramics. Plates, bowls, cups, teapots and other ceramic products are sold everywhere. The colours and patterns are fantastic.

Other crafts: wood and metal

There is also a wide range of other handicrafts, mainly in wood and metal. For example, you can buy beautifully painted wooden products such as chess sets, boxes, jewellery boxes and the like.

There are also metal objects, such as knives and beautiful scissors. One of our party also bought several "bread stamps", that is, round stamps with patterns used when baking the beautiful local breads (see recipes for the obi non breads here).

Spices, tea, nuts, dried fruit and sweets

You can also enjoy shopping for local delicacies such as spices, tea, nuts, dried fruit and various sweets. You can find cheap nuts and delicious raisins, which are big and blue.

Traditional sweets in Uzbekistan include among others half (confectionery made from tahini) and navat (crystallised sugar). 

Reminisce

Last but not least, there are plenty of souvenirs in the form of trinkets, soft toys and fridge magnets.

Shopping in Uzbekistan - this is what we bought!

Given that we have been in Uzbekistan Once before, we already have a lot of Uzbek stuff in our home: silk scarf, embroidered jacket, pottery dish, jewellery box and everything else. Still, we couldn't resist shopping! This time I (Helena) bought an embroidered shawl and an embroidered cardigan, while Peter bought a new white winter hat...

Shopping in Uzbekistan - some things to consider

So, what do you need to consider when it comes to shopping in Uzbekistan?

The local currency is called which. This currency can be withdrawn from an ATM or exchanged for you. In shops you can often use cards, but in markets cash is usually the norm.

In markets, it is normal to haggle. How much you want to haggle depends entirely on the price you are prepared to pay.

Curious to see what others were shopping for? In our group, many people thought it was a lot of fun to shop. If you want, you can check out Daniela's shopping and Gunilla's shopping.

More to see and do in Uzbekistan

Beyond shopping in Uzbekistan, there's much more to see and do in this beautiful country. For example, you can experience the beautiful nature in Uzbekistan. Please also read our report on daring to travel to Uzbekistan, where you will find many practical tips. Below you will find even more stories with travel tips.

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