Inside a Margilan Silk Workshop: How Traditional Ikat Silk Textile Is Made in Uzbekistan

devanandpaul
2 days ago
5 min read

From silkworm cocoons to handwoven silk fabric—know how traditional ikat textiles are made in Margilan, Uzbekistan, using centuries-old dyeing and weaving techniques.

Silk originated in China, from where sericulture and weaving spread west along the Silk Road. Fergana Valley, in Uzbekistan, a major region on the Silk Road, developed its own distinctive textile tradition, and by the 10th century, Margilan, a major commercial city in the valley, had become one of Central Asia’s leading silk weaving centres. The city is now the premier silk hub in Uzbekistan, and the old tradition thrives even today.

During my trip to Uzbekistan, I visited a small family-run workshop in Margilan to understand the process of textile making, from raw silk cocoons to finished cloth.

Silk Thread Production from Silkworm Cocoons

The process begins with silkworms, called Bombyx mori. Sericulturists raise these worms on mulberry leaves, managing their feeding and growth. The diet quality influences the integrity of the cocoons and, ultimately, the strength of the silk filaments.

Each silkworm spins a cocoon from a single continuous filament bound together by a natural adhesive protein called sericin. At this stage the silk filament is not ready for weaving. Once the cocoons are fully formed, they must be harvested before the moths emerge, in order to ensure the filaments are intact. Each cocoon is formed of approximately 1 km of continuous silk filament.

The cocoons are heated in water to soften the sericin. Following which, workers unwind the continuous filaments from the softened cocoons by reeling; strands from several cocoons are then combined to form one strong silk thread or yarn. Excessive heat weakens the silk, while insufficient heat makes it difficult to unwind the filaments.

Silkworm cocoons are heated to soften the sericin, a natural protein adhesive that holds the silk filaments together

Silk filaments being unwound from heat-softened cocoons

The reeled silk yarn is then sorted by size, colour, and quality and separated into yarn suitable for either warp or weft. Each requires different tensile strength and alignment. Mistakes at this stage often become apparent only when weaving begins.

An artisan reeling silk filaments from heat-softened silkworm cocoons

An artisan displays freshly reeled silk yarn before dyeing

Creation of Ikat Designs Before Weaving

Margilan is best known for its ikat textiles, known locally as abrbandi. (Ikat is a dyeing technique from Southeast Asia, which involves resist-dyeing the yarns even before they are woven into fabrics. Tie-dye and batik, on the other hand, are techniques in which dyeing occurs after the textile has been woven.) Unlike printed fabrics, where patterns are applied after weaving, in ikat fabrics the ikat motifs are embedded in the yarn itself. The warp threads are first stretched in a parallel manner to map out the ikat pattern.

Artisans map out an ikat pattern on stretched warp threads before dyeing

Although no woven cloth exists yet, the final motif has already been defined. The artisan must visualize the finished textile long before it reaches the loom, relying on experience, memory, and careful calculation.

Sections of stretched warp threads are tightly wrapped with Cellophane tapes to resist the dye

Selected sections of the stretched warp are tightly bound with Cellophane tapes before dipping the bundles of threads in a particular dye. These bindings determine the position of different hues. At this stage the design remains concealed within the yarns.

Dyeing Silk for Ikat Patterns

The prepared warp then passes through a series of dye baths, each introducing a new hue while those applied earlier are preserved. After every bath, the silk fibres are hung to dry. For complex Uzbek ikat motifs the sequence is repeated many times—wrapping, dyeing, drying, and rewrapping. Each cycle builds the pattern.

Whether natural or synthetic dyes are used, the underlying technique remains the same.

Traditional Silk Weaving in Margilan

After the final dyeing cycle, the warp is mounted on the loom. In ikat loom work, even slight shifts in the alignment of the warp yarns can distort the design; hence, the alignment of the mounted warp is crucial.

The dyed warp is mounted on the loom with precise alignment

Once the loom is loaded, weaving begins. As the weft is passed across the warp, the fabric advances across the loom and the design gradually emerges.

Nothing new is introduced during weaving. Instead, the loom reveals the design that was already embedded in the yarns.

An artisan weaves a hand-dyed ikat textile

The accuracy of every earlier step—reeling, binding, dyeing—is now visible in the finished textile. The soft edges and slight irregularities on the woven fabric are not defects but characteristic traits of handwoven ikat textile.

After weaving, the cloth is tailored into robes, jackets, scarves, tunics, and decorative household textiles.

Atlas and Adras: Margilan’s Traditional Silk Textiles

Margilan produces a wide range of silk textiles, the best known being atlas and adras. Atlas is a lustrous textile woven entirely from silk, distinguished by its bold ikat motifs and used in both traditional and contemporary dresses. Adras is a silk-and-cotton textile that is lighter and more breathable than pure silk. It is commonly used for garments and household furnishings. Although their components are different, the technique of manufacturing both is the same.

A display of finished ikat textiles for sale in a silk shop in Margilan

Handwoven atlas and adras textiles on display in a silk shop in Margilan

For visitors to the Fergana Valley, a silk workshop means more than a place to buy clothes. It is an opportunity to watch one of Uzbekistan’s oldest crafts still practised by hand.

Travel Guide: Margilan, Uzbekistan

How to Reach Margilan

From Fergana: approximately 15 km (20–30 minutes by road)
From Kokand: approximately 75 km (1–1.5 hours by road)
From Tashkent: approximately 5.5 hours by train via the Kamchik Pass

What to See in Margilan

Yodgorlik Silk Factory (Uzbekistan’s largest traditional silk factory) and traditional silk workshops
Ikat weaving demonstrations
The abrbandi (ikat resist-dyeing) process
Margilan Bazaar
Said Ahmad-Khoja Madrasa
Pir Siddiq Complex

What to Buy

Handwoven ikat fabrics
Atlas (silk) textiles
Adras (silk-cotton) fabrics
Silk scarves and shawls
Traditional garments

Time Required

Half a day: silk workshop and bazaar
Full day: silk workshop, historical sites, and local markets

Best Time to Visit

Spring (April and May)
Autumn (September and October)

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