TİKA Built a Handicrafts Center in Uzbekistan

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) built a Handicrafts Center at the Nurullahbay Madrassa in Khiva, the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World, in 2021.

Many crafts such as plaster carving, tile making, carpet weaving, jewelry making, and fabric weaving are practiced at an advanced level at handicrafts centers in Khorezm, which differ from other handicrafts centers in Uzbekistan with their unique characteristics in crafts.

Aiming to keep the ancient crafts unique to Khorezm alive, to train young generations in a master-apprentice relationship, to introduce handicrafts to the world, to provide employment opportunities in the region, and to help artisans produce handicrafts for tourists and earn a stable income, TİKA built a Handicrafts Center at the Nurullahbay Madrassa in Khiva.

As part of the project, the completely forgotten craft of chitgarlik (woodblock printing on textiles) was revived. The project also included the building of workshops for silk hand-made carpet weaving, filigree, wood carving, coppersmithing, pottery-tile making, traditional clothing, jewelry making, miniature-painting, mother-of-pearl inlay, and traditional musical instruments, which will lay the foundation for apprenticeship for these crafts to be passed down from generation to generation. The Handicrafts Center aims to improve the cooperation between Uzbek and Turkish artisans.

The opening ceremony held for the center was attended by Ulugbek Abdullaev, Chairman of the Hunarmand Association of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Aziz Murtazaev, Deputy Chairman of the Association; İlham Babacanov, Head of the Khorezm Branch of the Association; well-known, older craftspeople and active, younger craftspeople in the Province of Khorezm; press members; and Cemalettin Tüney, TİKA’s Coordinator.

In his speech at the ceremony, Ulugbek Abdullaev, Chairman of the Hunarmand Association, stressed that Khiva is truly a city of crafts, and that the center built with the support of TİKA aimed to further develop crafts in Khiva and to keep them alive for future generations. Craftspeople and workshop owners from Khorezm thanked TİKA for opening the center and supporting them.