Navruz the spring "New Year" holiday, has been celebrated for at least 2,500 years, and
perhaps for as long as 5,000 years. Central Asia has its own Navruz traditions.
From ancient times, the holiday was celebrated in agricultural oases with
festivals, bazaars, horseracing, and dog and cock fights. Today, Uzbeks still
serve a traditional meal of "sumalyak", which tastes like molasses-flavored
cream of wheat and is made from flour and sprouted wheat grains. Sumalyak is
cooked slowly on a wood fire, sometimes with the addition of spices. Sprouted
grain is a symbol of life, heat, abundance and health.
perhaps for as long as 5,000 years. Central Asia has its own Navruz traditions.
From ancient times, the holiday was celebrated in agricultural oases with
festivals, bazaars, horseracing, and dog and cock fights. Today, Uzbeks still
serve a traditional meal of "sumalyak", which tastes like molasses-flavored
cream of wheat and is made from flour and sprouted wheat grains. Sumalyak is
cooked slowly on a wood fire, sometimes with the addition of spices. Sprouted
grain is a symbol of life, heat, abundance and health.
Through the cities along the Great Silk Road, such as Naryn, Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva, passed hundreds and thousands of tradesmen and the many helpers who accompanied the caravans of ancient times.
Uzbek is a Turkic language with about 16.5 million speakers mainly in
Uzbekistan. but also in Australia, China, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey (Asia), Turkmenistan, Ukraine and the
USA. An early form of Uzbek, known as Chagatai (one of the sons of Genghis Khan)
and written with the Arabic script, became a literary language in
the 14th century. A type of the Latin alphabet replaced the Arabic script in
1927, and was in turn replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet in 1940. Recently, moves
have been made to reintroduce the Latin alphabet.
Uzbekistan. but also in Australia, China, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey (Asia), Turkmenistan, Ukraine and the
USA. An early form of Uzbek, known as Chagatai (one of the sons of Genghis Khan)
and written with the Arabic script, became a literary language in
the 14th century. A type of the Latin alphabet replaced the Arabic script in
1927, and was in turn replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet in 1940. Recently, moves
have been made to reintroduce the Latin alphabet.
handicrafts and tourism are rapidly becoming inseparable partners. Local crafts are important elements of culture, and people travel to see and experience other cultures, traditions and ways of living. Crafts products form an important element of the purchases made by tourists, providing an important economic input to the local economy.
Applied art of Uzbeks has a wealth of variety when it comes to style, materials and ornamentation. Silk, ceramics and cotton weaving, stone and wood carving, metal engraving, leather stamping, calligraphy and miniature painting are some genres passed down from ancient times. Back in the past, each region had its own cultural and ethnic traditions the unique features of which were established by local guilds that have strengthened these characteristics through their art.
Uzbek craftsmen nowadays still practice ancient jewellery making techniques for cutting gemstones, grain filigree, granular work, engraving and enamelling, also they are trying to take into account fashion demands and styles.
Embroidery is one of the most popular trends of applied arts in Uzbekistan. Every city of Uzbekistan has its own unique features such as ornamentation, composition, colour range and stitching. The finest kind of embroidery, gold embroidery is still practised in Bukhara.
Applied art of Uzbeks has a wealth of variety when it comes to style, materials and ornamentation. Silk, ceramics and cotton weaving, stone and wood carving, metal engraving, leather stamping, calligraphy and miniature painting are some genres passed down from ancient times. Back in the past, each region had its own cultural and ethnic traditions the unique features of which were established by local guilds that have strengthened these characteristics through their art.
Uzbek craftsmen nowadays still practice ancient jewellery making techniques for cutting gemstones, grain filigree, granular work, engraving and enamelling, also they are trying to take into account fashion demands and styles.
Embroidery is one of the most popular trends of applied arts in Uzbekistan. Every city of Uzbekistan has its own unique features such as ornamentation, composition, colour range and stitching. The finest kind of embroidery, gold embroidery is still practised in Bukhara.
