Siab Bazaar in Samarkand: Sweets, Flatbreads and Spices

Siab Bazaar is Samarkand's main market, and it sits literally a couple of steps from the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. It is not a separate sight but a living place where Samarkand residents buy food every day. That is exactly why it is worth a stop: in an hour here you can see more everyday life than in a whole day at the monuments.

How to find it and when to go

The bazaar is in the historical centre, near Bibi-Khanym and the Hazrat Khizr mausoleum. From the Registan it is a 15 to 20 minute walk along Tashkent Street, turning towards the mosque. The name Siab is linked to an irrigation channel that once flowed nearby.

Best times:

• Morning from 8 to 11. The goods are fresh, the flatbreads are hot and the crowds are modest.
• Weekdays. At weekends it is busy at the entrances and near the mosque.
• Not in the peak heat. In summer, open rows are hot after midday.

Opening hours can change by season, so check on the spot.

Samarkand flatbread

Samarkand bread (non, patir) is famed for its density and shape: round and tall, with a stamped pattern in the middle and a shiny crust sprinkled with sesame. It is baked in a tandoor and then stacked on the counter. The secret, according to bakers, is in the water, the flour and the skill.

What to know:

• fresh loaves are sold from the morning, and fewer remain by evening;
• this bread keeps for several days, going stale slowly;
• do not cut it with a knife: it is customary to break it by hand;
• loaves are easy to carry on the road in a paper bag or cloth.

If you want to see how they are baked, step up to the tandoor. Bakers usually do not mind if you watch, as long as you do not get in the way.

Sweets and dried fruit

Siab has many rows of sweets: navat, parvarda, halva, chak-chak and candy. Vendors pile goods in mounds and gladly offer samples. Also sold here:

• apricots, dried apricots and raisins of various kinds;
• almonds, walnuts and pistachios;
• dried fruit, melon and figs;
• bright fruit leather (pastila).

How to choose dried fruit

1. The colour should look natural, not too bright. Overly orange dried apricots may have been treated.
2. Ask to taste. Good dried fruit is aromatic and not too sticky.
3. Compare prices in two or three rows before buying a large amount.
4. Ask for it to be packed in a sturdy bag, especially if you are taking it home.

Prices depend on the season and quality. Roughly, it is best to compare several rows and ask the price per kilo.

Spices and seasonings

The spice rows sell cumin, barberry, pepper, saffron, dried mint and ready blends for plov. Be careful with saffron and expensive spices: ask to see, smell and explain where the goods come from. For plov, sellers often put together a set to your request, which makes a convenient souvenir.

What else to buy

• Honey. Sold in jars; taste before buying.
• Home pickles and seasonings.
• Fresh fruit in season: apricots, grapes, pomegranates, apples.
• Souvenirs in neighbouring rows and around the mosque: ceramics, textiles, shawls, paper. Here it is best to compare prices and not rush.

Bargaining and conversation

Bargaining is appropriate, especially for souvenirs and large purchases. Start with a smile, greet the seller and ask the price. A modest reduction of 10 to 15 percent is usually accepted calmly. For fixed-price food and bread, haggling is not customary.

Practical tips

• Carry cash in local currency, with small notes.
• Wear your bag in front and watch your belongings in crowds.
• Drink water and wear a hat in summer.
• Photograph people only with permission.
• Combine the visit with Bibi-Khanym: the mosque first in the morning, then the bazaar, then lunch at a nearby teahouse.

Getting there from Tashkent

If you come to Samarkand for a day or two, it is more convenient to arrange the trip from Tashkent in advance. By car the road takes about 3.5 to 4 hours, so many set off early in the morning to have time for both the bazaar and the monuments. On the Tashkent — Samarkand page drivers post trips, and you can choose an early departure. You book a seat in the Yo'ldosh app, and it usually costs less than a taxi. All directions are on the all routes page.

A mini-route for two hours

1. Start at the Bibi-Khanym Mosque at 8:30 to 9:00, before the heat.
2. Walk to Siab and make a loop through the bread and sweet rows.
3. Buy a hot flatbread and tea at a nearby teahouse.
4. Visit the Hazrat Khizr mausoleum and stroll around.
5. Finish with dried fruit and spices on the way back.

The takeaway

Siab is where Samarkand reveals itself not in marble and majolica but in the smell of the tandoor, the colour of spices and the chatter of vendors. Give yourself an hour, taste everything on offer and bring home a keepsake: a warm flatbread, a bag of dried apricots or a spice blend for plov.

Cover photo: Rudolph.A.Furtado, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.