Margilan Silk: Atlas, Adras and Ikat Explained
How the abrband tie-dye technique works, how atlas differs from adras, where to see looms in Margilan and how not to confuse natural silk with synthetics.
Bright, shimmering fabrics with blurred patterns are among the most recognisable symbols of Uzbekistan. People wear them at celebrations, make dresses and robes from them, and designers around the world use Uzbek ikat in their collections. The capital of this craft is Margilan in the Fergana Valley, a town where silk has been woven for centuries and where you can still follow the whole journey from cocoon to finished cloth.
A little history
Margilan stood on one of the branches of the Great Silk Road, and sericulture is a long-standing tradition in the Fergana Valley. Mulberry trees grow everywhere, and raising silkworms is still a seasonal occupation in many villages. Local weavers have preserved a technique passed down through families for generations, and today it is recognised as part of the country's cultural heritage.
Atlas, adras and other fabrics
To understand what you are buying, it helps to know the names of the main fabrics.
- Atlas (khan-atlas): pure silk in a satin weave. Smooth, glossy and light, with rich colours. The most festive and the most expensive.
- Adras: half-silk, with a silk warp and a cotton weft. More matte and denser than atlas, it holds its shape well and suits jackets, bags and upholstery.
- Bekasab: a striped half-silk traditionally used for men's robes.
- Shoyi: a thin, light silk, often plain, used for scarves and linings.
Ikat is not the name of a fabric but a dyeing technique. Its characteristic blurred-edged patterns appear on both atlas and adras.
How abrband works
The local name for the technique is abrband, from abr, meaning cloud. The blurred edges of the pattern really do look like clouds. The process is long and almost entirely manual:
- Reeling the cocoons. Cocoons are placed in hot water and the finest thread is wound off.
- Preparing the warp. Warp threads are stretched on a frame in precise order.
- Marking and tying. The master draws the design directly onto the threads and tightly binds the sections that should stay undyed.
- Dyeing. The warp is dipped into dye. The tying and dyeing are repeated for each colour, so a multicoloured pattern takes many cycles.
- Weaving. The dyed warp is mounted on the loom and woven. The threads shift slightly, giving the pattern its famous soft edges.
Traditionally, natural dyes were used: madder for reds, indigo for blues, pomegranate and walnut husks for yellows and browns. Today many workshops also use synthetic dyes, while natural dyes remain a separate, more expensive category.
Where to watch silk being made
The best-known place is the Yodgorlik silk factory in Margilan, where artisans work with traditional methods and welcome visitors. You can follow the full cycle there: vats of cocoons, reeling machines, masters tying threads and working looms. Private family workshops also operate in town.
Another place to get to know the fabrics is the Kumtepa bazaar near Margilan, where locals come to buy lengths of atlas and adras.
How to choose genuine silk
Markets also sell viscose and polyester fabrics printed with Uzbek-style patterns. How to avoid a mistake:
- Sheen. Natural atlas has a soft, deep sheen that shifts as it moves. Synthetic fabric looks flat and plasticky.
- Feel. Silk warms quickly in your hand and feels warm. Synthetics stay cool and slippery.
- Pattern. Hand-woven ikat has small irregularities and shifts. A perfectly crisp, repeating design is a sign of printing.
- Reverse side. On woven ikat the pattern looks almost the same on both sides. A printed pattern is paler on the back.
- Price. Handmade natural atlas is never very cheap. A metre costs noticeably more than factory fabric, so compare prices with several sellers.
Only try the burn test on a thread with the seller's permission: silk smells of burnt hair and crumbles to ash, while synthetics melt into a hard bead.
What to buy
| Purchase | Good for |
|---|---|
| Atlas scarf or shawl | A light gift that is easy to carry |
| A length of adras | People who sew |
| Adras bag or cushion cover | A practical souvenir |
| A robe or jacket | A special occasion |
When to go
You can visit Margilan all year round, but spring and early autumn are the most pleasant: it is not too hot, and in May the villages are busy raising silkworms. In summer the workshops with boiling vats get very stuffy, so plan your visit for the morning. Allow an hour to an hour and a half for the factory, and more if you want to choose fabric at leisure.
Getting there
Margilan is very close to Fergana, about 15–20 km or half an hour away. Rides on Fergana – Margilan are handy if you are staying in Fergana. From the capital, the Tashkent – Margilan route is about 300 km over the Kamchik pass and usually takes 5–6 hours.
With Yo'ldosh you can book a seat in a car to Margilan and not depend on bus timetables. Check the current rides on Tashkent – Margilan and Fergana – Margilan, and give the silk town at least half a day.
Cover photo: Stephanieadams99, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
