Margilon and Rishton

Nestled within the Fergana Valley, the neighbouring cities of Margilon and Rishton represent two distinct pillars of Uzbekistan’s traditional craftsmanship. Margilon, one of the valley's most ancient cities, has been a centre for silk production for centuries. It is renowned as the home of ikat fabric, a meticulously handcrafted material involving the resist-dyeing of silk threads before weaving. The Yodgorlik Silk Factory in Margilon preserves these artisanal methods, using traditional hand-looms and natural dyes to produce its distinctive textiles, offering a direct link to the region’s Silk Road heritage.
Conversely, the smaller city of Rishton has been a celebrated centre for ceramics for over a millennium, owing to the unique red clay and mineral-rich deposits found in its local soils. The Rustam Usmanov Pottery Centre is a focal point of this tradition, where master artisans employ age-old techniques to create pieces glazed with ishkor, a dye derived from the ash of desert plants. Each city, through its specialised craft, continues a legacy of manual skill that defines the cultural and economic identity of the Fergana Valley, attracting those seeking authentic, handcrafted artefacts.
How to get to Margilon and Rishton
Both cities can be visited by car from Fergana.
Accommodation
Margilon has a few hotels, bookable via international hotel booking portals.