A Shopper’s Guide to Tourist Shopping in Uzbekistan
Mar
Each tourist should not only explore all the sights of Uzbekistan, but also take time to shop. Otherwise you will spend your time in vain in this wonderful country.
Fans of shopping should not go to the shopping centers along the usual routes, but to the markets – this is where you can feel the whole flavor of the East and buy souvenirs from local artisans.
There are shopping centers in Uzbekistan, but there are few unusual artisan goods there, only boutiques of famous stores.
About local bazaars
It is in the bazaars that you can completely immerse yourself in the flavor and culture of Uzbekistan. The noise, the bustle, the many tourists and locals who sell unusual handmade items – all this here, in local bazaars and markets. You can and even need to bargain with sellers (and do you think, why is it so noisy here?). Some tourists deliberately roam the markets and enjoy the bidding process.
In markets and bazaars, it smells of oriental spices, and from a variety of products, one’s eyes widen. Encourage buying offers to try goodies, fruits and vegetables before buying. Local residents grow vegetables and fruits on their own, so they are interested in the buyer being satisfied and making a second purchase.
Bazaars and markets have not changed since the time of the Great Silk Road: people trade in the open air and use tables, benches and stalls as counters. You should definitely try the local vegetables and fruits that are brought to markets from all over Uzbekistan. On the market you can buy: peanuts, almonds, pistachios, dried fruits, spices, tomatoes, cucumbers, apricots, pears, apples and much more.
In the bazaars of Uzbekistan you can purchase:
- dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, raisins, raisins, mulberry)
- almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts
- oriental sweets (almonds in sugar syrup, almonds in sesame, halva, parvard)
- fruits, berries, melon (peaches, greed, figs, apricots, apples, pears, apricot, persimmon, melons, watermelons, grapes, strawberries, cherries, cherries, lemon)
- spices
- mountain herbs
- healing oils
- sesame oil for pilaf
- rice for pilaf
- chickpeas for pilaf
- mash (for germination)
- Uzbek wines, cognacs (in ordinary or better in specialized stores)
Handicrafts of handicraftsmen:
- ceramics
- embroidery (suzani)
- gold embroidery
- silk and woolen carpets
- gold and silver
- national musical instruments
- painting
- graphics
- wood products
- silk fabrics
- dolls
- silk scarves
- knives
- daggers
- papier-mâché products
- miniature
All this can be purchased in souvenir shops on the tourist routes of Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, Shakhrisabz, in craft workshops, in art galleries and salons.
Clothing
National clothes (chapans, djuma, kalyapush skullcaps, gold embroidery), Uzbek knitwear, towels, bed linen, can be bought at any clothing market).
Products (fur coats, short fur coats, hats, sleeveless jackets, dresses) made from astrakhan and astrakhan fur (at enterprises or in shops on tourist routes).
Handmade designer clothes decorated with national embroidery can be found in shopping malls on tourist routes.
Tourists usually buy glossy figurines as souvenirs. They are sold at the bazaars of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and other major cities of the country.
About taking out the jewelry and souvenirs from the country In Uzbekistan, there is a ban on the export of things older than 500 years, so if you do not want to be detained at the border, find out the real age of the item before buying from the seller.
It is also worth getting a certificate from the seller that the item is not antique, but is mass-produced as a souvenir.
Some art products are subject to examination, without which it is impossible to export these products from Uzbekistan.
If you have questions about the examination, contact the sellers, guides, drivers or our staff.
Expertise is subject to handmade products: carpets, suzani (embroidered bedspread, tablecloth), musical instruments, art furniture, fiction – more than 3 books, painting, graphics, sculpture, artwork from silver, silverware.
Do not rush to buy antiques, first ask the seller to call a state expert to evaluate the product, perhaps the product is more than 30 years old and in this case, you should not be allowed to take it out of Uzbekistan. Violators will face a fine and confiscation of antiques.
Shopping in Uzbekistan is an interesting activity that shows the real life of the people. Noisy markets and bazaars, unique handicrafts, interesting bargains with sellers – all this is here.
Such shopping is a great activity for any tourist: even if there is not much money, you can bargain for a good discount or go to a neighboring country to buy products even cheaper.