Margilan celebrates silk at the 7th Atlas Bayrami festival

Margilan, the silk town of the Fergana Valley, spent three days in September 2026 celebrating its famous fabrics. The 7th International Traditional Textile Festival, Atlas Bayrami, opened on 17 September at the Burhoniddin Marg'inoniy complex and brought together artisans, designers and textile experts from nearly 40 countries.

What was on

The programme mixed craft and fashion: a “Made in Uzbekistan” exhibition, a craftsmen’s fair, master classes in traditional weaving and carpet making, a conference on traditional textiles and a show by young designers. There were folk performances too, from askiya, the Uzbek art of witty banter, to dorboz tightrope walkers. The festival closed with awards from an international jury, concerts and fireworks.

For your trip

Atlas and adras are the bright ikat fabrics of Margilan, and the craft lives on every day, not only at festival time. At the Yodgorlik factory you can follow the whole path from cocoon to finished cloth; we describe the visit in our Margilan silk guide. How to fit the valley into your route is on our Fergana Valley page.