Sunny and friendly Uzbekistan can surprise travelers not only by the wealth of unique architectural monuments and the generosity of people living here, but also in unique, colorful shopping. And let the shopping in this country will be very unusual in nature, but the purchased goods will become not easy for a part of pleasant memories of the journey, but also quite functional objects of life and decor.
The uniqueness of Uzbek shopping is that its subject is not the things of famous world brands, but the creations of skillful artisans and the national masters of the country. After all, no wonder Uzbekistan is considered the framework for admirers of artistic ceramics and manual embroidery. And one more feature of the Uzbek shopping lies in the fact that the cost of the same type souvenirs, for example, in Tashkent and Margilan significantly varied. For the National Male Bathrobe (Zargin) in Malaga, tourists will give 8,000 soums, and at the Tashkent Bazaar, the merchants will ask for all 45,000 soums.
What to take into home?
- The most popular among tourists enjoy funny clay figures, depicting a local pet Gojit Nasreddin. Figurines are large and small, monochrome and colorful, hand-written. Some of them reflect a serious character, while others are a joking hero riding on a donkey or in a comic position. Typically, the price of clay figures is low - from 2000 to 10,000 soums. Some tourists acquire 2-3 figurines in order to prevent them from returning home as a fun gift to relatives and loved ones. In Samarkand, Tashkent and Bukhara, clay creations are sold near architectural monuments, in city bazaars and souvenir shops.
- As for the artistic ceramics, it deserves certain attention of travelers. Pottery craft in Uzbekistan, however, as a wood carving, has long passed into real art. Each region of the country has its long-term ceramics school. Most often, tourists come across the eyes of Hivinsky Flags and Badium plates, decorated with a ultramarine or blue-blue pattern with a wide border and image of a significant architectural monument of a Uzbek city. Money (17-20 thousand sum) on the Khivin souvenir will not be spent in vain. The dish will bring the eastern note in the decor of the house or apartment. Neither less original as an outdoor vase will look created by Khorezm wizards Vessel-Hum. It is usually covered with turquoise glaze and has a wide neck. The average price of the vessel is 20000 sum. The most expensive humos are sold in Tashkent, and in Khorezm in the craft workshop, the vessel can be bought for the living pennies.
The largest selection of blue ceramic souvenirs to tourists will be found in Rishtean. This is the very corner of Uzbekistan, from which no traveler leaves without a dish, cups or lygans. And it is in Rishtean who are ingenious guests get acquainted with the taste of the sweet urike and spend on shopping from 7 to 40 thousand soums.
- A carved wooden casket, decorated with an oriental fairy tales or a plot of Eastern fairy tales, will be a good acquisition during the visit to Uzbekistan. Such a box can be a wonderful storage for your own jewelry or a unique gift. The most expensive caskets are made from a solid piece of wood and are collected without any special fasteners. The pattern of each wooden box is unique. A huge selection of caskets is represented in the center of applied art in the Madrasa of Abul-Kasima in Tashkent.
- The attention of male travelers attract traditional Uzbek knives and daggers. Steel knife pickels with a brass emblem performed by kuznetsy are considered the most expensive. Despite its belonging to arms, these knives can be called elegant and beautiful acquisition. It is possible to determine the authenticity of the pike from the echo on the smooth bendability of its blades and the presence of Arabic vessels. A grip knife should be slightly tilted by the book. There are such treasures from 35,000 soums and above. The easiest way to find a male souvenir on any bazaar. There is more choice, and if you wish, you can bargain.
- As for national clothes and traditional Tubpets, they are sold in Uzbekistan everywhere. Women's tubets are very colorful and diverse. Most often, merchants offer tourists the most expensive hats embroidered with golden threads. They are asked from 15 thousand sum and above.
- Jewelry and carpets are the most expensive point in tourist shopping. Silver bracelets, openwork beads and all sorts of earrings in Uzbekistan are considered not just an ornament, but by a real faucet. There is such jewelry protection from several tens to hundreds of thousands of sum.
- Leaving the country, tourists as a souvenir can take with one or two bottles of Uzbek wine. The sweet-tart taste of the drink will be a good reminder of the fascinating journey through Uzbekistan. By the way, before purchasing wine in Samarkand wine shops, you can participate in tasting and only after that to buy the most liked variety.
Comfortable shopping
Buying souvenirs on the market is a funny thing, but the Uzbek shopping has another side. It looks like a campaign at the comfortable shopping centers of the largest cities of Uzbekistan. Here in Tashkent, you can see at least in seven shopping and entertainment centers. In Samarkand, exquisite shopping is possible in the art atelier Valentina Romanenko. Silk scarves and dresses are sold here with embroidered oriental motifs. In Bukhara, the Bakht shopping center will be suitable for shopping.
Souvenir nuances
In order for shopping in Uzbekistan, there is a deposit, before purchasing souvenirs related to art, their age should be clarified. In this country, there is a ban on the removal of antiques and cultural values, the age of which exceeds 50 years. Therefore, in order to avoid misunderstandings, it is better to have a document confirming that the exported goods does not represent historical value and belongs to the subjects of mass production. Usually all merchants in the country's large markets have such a pre-prepared document.
In general, nobody leaves from Uzbekistan with empty hands.