Uzbekistan textiles have long been in demand, famous for dazzling fabrics stitched with intricate silk threads known as suzani, and others called ikat, which is material woven with hand spun yarn.

Yet, Ikat is only one of the crafts that have come to shape Fergana Valley's identity as a thriving cultural hub in Uzbekistan. While Margilan traded in fabrics, Rishtan, 50km west, grew as one of ...