Fergana Valley is a depression limited by the Tien Shan Mountains in the north and the Alay Mountains in the south. It is the most fertile area in Uzbekistan and in the southern part of Central Asia, hence it became the agricultural heartland in the region. For this reason, the Fergana region has been, since Silk Road times, such an important place, which can be seen in palaces, fortresses and wealthy towns.
Nothing about the Fergana Valley is simple. Understanding it, however, is key to understanding Central Asia itself.
Usually, travelers like to hopscotch through the major towns in a day or 3. That’s enough time to get a feel for the place and see the highlights. After that, the urge grows to move on to more spectacular surroundings: Samarkand and Bukhara, the mountains of Kyrgyzstan or the Pamir Highway.
The Ferghana Valley is not spectacular. Its attractions are more subtle, and do not always reveal themselves at first sight. Sure, there are the silk factory of Margilan, the ceramics workshops of Rishtan, the knives and skullcaps workshops in Chust, and the colourful monuments in Kokand. Beyond these highlights, though, travel in Ferghana Valley becomes an exploration of overlapping histories: dual lives, languages, identities and loyalties.
Come here without much of an agenda. Fergana Valley is the most fertile land in the country and hence the most populated. But it’s the people here that make it such a must-do visit in my books. They are kinder than the kindest folk you’ll meet in all of the other cities (which is saying a LOT) Maybe because they’re supremely curious and don’t get too many tourists. 

 

KOKAND
It is one of the beautiful cities in the Fergana Valley. A traditional town with some Islamic architecture, friendly people and great food. What else do you need?
It was the capital of the Kokand khanate in the 18th and 19th centuries and was almost as important as Bukhara in that time until it became a Russian vassal state in 1868. The main attraction is the beautiful Kudayar Khan palace. Other things worth visiting are the Damoi Shakhon, Juma mosque and Norbutabiy madrassah.

 

Norbutabiy Madrassah
In XVIII century it was constructed on the area of Chorsu. Here listeners received the highest spiritual education. Madrasah represents a one-storey building of the symmetric domestic composition by the form of the rectangular (52х79) with cylindrical towers at the corners.

 

Juma Mosque
At the beginning of the 19C, when it was being built, the Friday Mosque was one of the largest in the Fergana Valley. Its wooden ceiling with polychrome decorations is supported by a hundred or so elaborately carved wooden poles. A veritable forest of fine wood imported from India by trade caravans. Their capitals are painted in the traditional colours of the valley while the ceiling and pillars are engraved with geometrical motifs and tracery. A feast for the eyes!

 

 

Damoi Shakhon
The tomb of Damoi Shakhon is the resting place of Kokand khans and other famous people of the city. The tomb was built in the Uzbek city of Kokand, in 1825. This is a whole ensemble, including: a domed building, ayvan mosques, a family cemetery. The tomb of Damai Shahon is surrounded by a fence, in the center there are several tombs and burials. The tomb is decorated with delightful carvings, phrases from the Koran, rich ornamental motifs, emphasize the beauty of the Khan's tomb.  

 

RISHTAN 
Since ancient times, Uzbekistan has been famous for first-class ceramics, not only beautiful, but also high-quality. In recent years, many fakes designed for tourists have appeared around the world, and only real masters of this craft know what real pottery should be.
Rishtan is a city in the Fergana region of Uzbekistan, which since ancient times has been famous for its masters in the manufacture of ceramics. Like all other schools, Rishtan has its own design features, a set of characters and colors. Rishtan ceramics can always be distinguished by the turquoise tones of products painted with bizarre patterns.
Rishtan ceramics are not just beautiful clay plates and jugs, they are also amulets for their owners. Each curl on the ornament carries a sacred meaning.
 

Ceramist Family
In Rishtan, generations of potters have mixed glazes in colors of the sky and transferred them in finely detailed all-over patterns to tableware. Celebrated among them is master potter Rustam Usmanov.  Carrying on the family tradition for eight generations, or about 250 years, the Usmanov family, like many other pottery families in Rishtan, have been potters since long before Tsarist Russia, throughout the earlier Kokand Khanate, 1740-1876. Directly on the ancient major East-West trade route, the Silk Road, there is a strong possibility that Rishtan potters originally tried to copy Chinese porcelain even though the necessary kaolin clay was not locally available. Today at least 1,000 potters live and work in Rishtan.

 

AUTHENTIC KYRGYZ FAMILY (living isolate in yurta) 
In Rishtan don't miss visiting Gafurov’s house-museum. This house-museum has a Kyrgyz yurt, where you can see in process several types of crafts, such as wool processing, carpet weaving and felt making, all are hand-made.
Also, there are unique patterns of Kyrgyz national embroidery inside the yurt. To raise the mood of the guests, they play “chankovuz” and tell stories from the everyday life of the Kyrgyz in the yurt. Chankovuz is an old musical instrument distributed among the Turkic peoples in the countries of Central Asia. In ancient times, it was made from the bone of a camel, a tree or a reed plate and a metal part, now it is made mainly entirely of metal. 

FERGANA CITY
Fergana is a fairly young city in comparison with the other ancient cities and one of the most beautiful cities in Uzbekistan, and the largest in the valley with the same name. It is located in the southeast, about 420 km. from the capital - the city of Tashkent in the east, and 70 km from the city of Andijan in the south-west.
Fergana city is the capital of the Fergana valley and has all the facilities a traveller needs. There are excellent restaurants, several good hotels and it’s also a transport hub with frequent connections to Margilon, Rishton, Andijon and Kokand.
In terms of layout, Fergana is similar to a wheel: the axis is a fortress, from which the streets spoke. During the reign of Tsar, many official institutions were built in Ferghana: a military headquarters, a governor's residence, a post office and city treasury, an officer meeting, gymnasiums and schools. Then came the city garden, theater, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. All these colonial buildings date back to the late 19th century and represent the most interesting architectural heritage of the city. Mostly all these buildings are two-story and retain the general style typical of Turkestan of those years.

 

Regional Museum of Local History
It is one of the oldest in the country. The decision to create it was made after an exhibition of industrial and agricultural achievements in 1894. The museum opened its doors in 1899, with more than 2,200 exhibits. Today, the museum stores more than 80 thousand exhibits: archaeological information, decorative and applied items, and collections of jewelry, costume details, and ceramics. One of the richest expositions is devoted to archaeological finds of the Fergana Valley, it has more than 10 thousand objects. These are prehistoric tools, household items and a rich archive of documents.
 

Central Park named after Al-Fergani
A gigantic statue to him was erected in the park that bears his name, he was also sent to the city itself. The park is huge: it is a lung in the heart of the city. On Saturday, you can meet newlyweds who come to photograph, in its foliage or with the statue of the astronomer. On one side, games, simple as, metal, create a mini-amusement park and it is curious to see them joy, not only children, but also adults. Relaxing, friendly atmosphere.
 

Horse Breeding Farm
A modern complex for breeding, rearing and sports training of the national horse breed Karabaire has opened in Kuvasoy, the Fergana region in 2018.
The 2.5-hectare Vodiy Tulporlari complex is equipped with open and closed playpens with a modern drainage system and a solarium. For horses, there is a special pool and a sand "walker". The soil consists of quartz sand from the Zheroi deposit in the Navoi region.
Three stables, one of which is designed for young animals, have all the amenities for quality horse care. Drinking bowls, feeders and all other accessories in the stalls were brought from abroad. Barriers for sports games are made by domestic enterprises in accordance with international standards.
On the perimeter of the open arena, there are 180 seats and 6 pavilions, from where a good overview of the entire field opens. The complex also has a laboratory with all the necessary equipment, including ultrasound machines and blood analyzers.

MARGILAN 
Margilan is one of the ancient cities of the Ferghana Valley. The settlement arose in the II-I centuries BC, when one of the roads of the Great Silk Road ran through Ferghana. In the sources, the settlement has been known since the 9th century. The name Margilan has been known since the 10th century.
Margilan is located in the south-east of the Ferghana Valley, in the foothills of the Alai Range, 9 km north-west of the regional center - the city of Fergana.
You should visit Yodgorlik Silk Factory, Pir Siddiq Complex, and the Khodja Maggiz Mausoleum and many other interesting places upon arrival in Margilan.
 

Silk Factory
Margilan has been the most important silk production center of Central Asia since the ancient Silk Road. If you want to see the whole silk manufacturing process – from how the silk is made, the traditional silk-weaving techniques to the final product, you should definitely visit the Yodgorlik Silk Factory. Yodgorlik Silk Factory, built in the 80s but keeping the old, traditional weaving techniques. From growing cocoons to selling the final product to retailers, here you can see the whole manufacturing process. 
 

Khodja Maggiz Mausoleum
A completely unique monument for Islamic architecture, it was built in the first half of the eighteenth century. This is a building of the original construction, covered with a dome, resting on a drum: faceted - at the bottom, cylindrical - at the top. The facade of the tomb is covered with magnificent panels with floral patterns of ganch tiles.
 

 

KAMCHIK MOUNTAIN PASS
The Kamchik Pass is a mountain pass in the Qurama Mountains in eastern Uzbekistan. The pass provides a strategically important route as an access for ground transport traveling between the Tashkent and Namangan Regions in the Fergana Valley bypassing neighboring Tajikistan. It connects the capital city of
Tashkent with Osh, the second-largest city in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. The peak of the pass reaches 2,268 metres above sea level. The Tashkent-Osh (A373) international highway now winds through the pass. Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles travel through the Kamchik Pass each day.

 

 

Other interesting facts
We recommend lovers of natural beauty to visit the Ferghana Valley in the spring. It is especially beautiful in gardens and in the mountains. Trees and flowers bloom everywhere. This beautiful view and the smell of awakening nature is very calming.
The Ferghana Valley has long been famous for its wonderful fruits and vegetables. Multi-sorted fruits and vegetables of local gardens are sold in large quantities not only in bazaars and shops, but also along roads when approaching cities and right next to some people's homes. It costs all this very cheaply, so there is a huge abundance of fruit in the Ferghana Valley.