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Valley Men's Shoes
In the past, making footwear, like any other craft, was something between amateur craftsmanship and genuine art.
The History of the Náprstek Museum
The Náprstek Museum (originally the Czech Industrial Museum) was founded in the 1860s thanks to the initiative of Vojtěch Náprstek (1826-1894), a prominent figure in Czech cultural and political life, and his mother Anna (1788-1873), a successful Prague entrepreneur.
The development of personal libraries in Central Asia in ancient times
The history of the creation and existence of personal libraries and book collections in Central Asia is noteworthy and undeniably interesting.
When did the minting of anonymous coins begin in Khorezm?
The history of Khorezmian coins during the Golden Horde period is connected with the Mongol conquest of Khorezm (1219-1221). Monetary circulation in the Golden Horde and Ancient Khorezm became a single system, which was reflected in the coinage.
Who donated the work "Bustan" to the National Library of France?
The manuscript of Saadi's "Bustan" is also kept in the National Library of France. This manuscript is currently registered under the code "Supplément persan 1187".
Bukhara bazaars, surpassing the markets of Tashkent, Samarkand and Kokand
The Bukhara bazaars were considered “more curious than all the others – Tashkent, Samarkand, and Kokand. The bazaars in Bukhara are an entire network of narrow curved streets, cordoned with reed baskets, or even with roofs of logs and rods, smeared over with clay, with square holes for light and air.
Who organized the first exhibition dedicated to Islamic book art in Paris?
One of the well-known French collectors is Georges Marteau. He was an engineer at the École Centrale.
The three most valuable illustrated manuscripts from Mawarannahr in the collections of the National Library of France
One of the biggest French collectors of Oriental manuscripts in the second half of the 19 century, Charles Schefer (1820 – 1898) was not only interested in Arabic, Persian, Turkic and Turkish texts but also collected illuminated and illustrated volumes. Schefer was an orientalist, interpreter and later, after 1871, professor and Director of the French School of Oriental languages.
Scholars connecting the Museum of Oriental Art and Uzbekistan
Many scholars whose lives and fields of research are closely linked with Uzbekistan work at the Museum of Oriental Art.
Formation of the Central Asian collection at the State Museum of Oriental Art
For almost a century of its existence, the museum has become a major cultural, educational, and research institutions focused on the study and advocacy of the culture and art of the peoples of Asia – from the Far East to North Africa. However, considering such a wide geographical range, Middle Asia, and specifically Uzbekistan, still hold a special place in the State Museum of Oriental Art.
The Hadith of the Prophet in "Kok Gumbaz"
The frieze at the top of the Kok Gumbaz mosque, built in Shahrisabz in 839/1435, is covered in inscriptions executed in the thuluth script.
What is Maulana Kaukabi famous for?
The Herat traditions found their continuation in the culture of Bukhara and Samarkand in the following centuries. The proximity of the musical traditions of Herat and Bukhara is the result of long-standing historical interconnections between the two cities, migrations of musicians from one city to another, and the exchange of musical values.
What technique are used to make many types of Samarkand skullcaps?
The shape, colour and ornament of the skullcap reflect the peculiarities of the way of life of the population of a particular area.
Texts glorifying Allah in the inscriptions of the Gumbazi Sayyidan in Shakhrisabz
According to the information contained in the album-book "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan," dedicated to the Kashkadarya region, published as part of the project "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections," the dome and epigraphy of the Gumbazi Sayyidan mausoleum in Shakhrisabz, reminiscent of the Shahi Zinda in Samarkand, made of tiles, were restored in 1975.
Afghan Craftsmen in the Uzbek Market
Along with the indigenous peoples, photographers of the past captured Afghans and Indians who came for trade and sometimes lived for long periods in Central Asian cities, adding to their ethnic diversity.
Do you know the types of stitches used in embroidery?
The art of embroidery was widespread among both the settled and semi-nomadic populations of the Uzbek Khanates. The inhabitants of the oases embroidered large-format interior panels to decorate their homes, while the steppe people used this type of needlework to decorate clothing and its parts, as well as to embellish various types of bags.
Where are the hadiths collected by Abu Layth Samarqandi kept?
In the cultural institutions of the Czech Republic, art objects from Uzbekistan are represented by small but very expressive collections, confirming the uniqueness of Uzbek cultural heritage.
Who copied the manuscript of "Gulistan"?
The French were very interested in Saadi's work "Gulistan".
A young man with a book from the Louvre
One very famous page from a dispersed muraqqa album from the early 17th century is kept under the code "OA 7109" in the Islamic Art Department of the Louvre.
Geometric Motifs in the Decoration of Skullcaps
The ornaments on skullcaps demonstrate the amazing skill of embroiderers, national identity, convey the spirit of the people, love of life and bright colors of nature, the desire to embody in color the images of the surrounding world as they are seen in the poetic tradition.
Preserving and Promoting the Legacy of Mawarannahr: New Horizons of Cooperation in Madrid
Mawarannahr and the history of the peoples of Central Asia, their state traditions and cultural heritage have always been of interest to foreign researchers.
Who is Kuragan in the Kok Gumbaz inscriptions?
"Kuragan" is found in the inscriptions of the Kok Gumbaz mosque in Shahrisabz, which is described as a "mosque embodying beauty, elegance of forms, and many other high qualities."
Khorezm, Bukhara-Samarkad schools of Uzbek metal coinage
Such regional schools of Uzbek metal chasing as Khorezm, Bukhara-Samarkand and Fergana differ in the shape of products, the nature of the decor and methods of decoration.
50-volume edition of "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan" presented in Berlin
Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Germany Dilshod Akhatov ceremoniously presented a 50-volume edition of the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan" to Hermann Parzinger, President of the Berlin State Museums and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
Embroidery secrets
The art of embroidery was widespread among both the sedentary and semi-nomadic populations of the Uzbek Khanates.
Ruijo in Červená Lhota Castle
Ruijo is an embroidered bedsheet for newlyweds’ bed.
Images that also adorn poetry
As in Iran, besides historical writings, extensive poetic texts were also illustrated here.
"Divan-i Shahi" - the work of a calligrapher who served the Sultan and Navoi
The calligrapher Sultan ‘Ali Mashhadi (1453 – 1520) is a great Persian master of the nasta‘liq script.
Kamal ud-din Behzad's miniatures in the world collections
During his long and eventful life, Kamal ud-din Behzad collected a vast artistic heritage.
Portraits of Central Asian Rulers
Portraits of representatives of the Central Asian ruling elite are important documents of the political history and political culture of the region in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The homeland of velvet skullcaps
The shape, color, and ornamentation of a skullcap reflect the characteristics of the way of life of the population in a particular area.
The work that made Abu Ali ibn Sina famous
A man of encyclopedic knowledge, a person who made a great contribution to the development of world civilization, one of the geniuses of world medical science, Abu Ali ibn Sina clearly distinguished between similar diseases.
The spiritual heritage that formed the basis for the outstanding works of Abu Ali ibn Sina...
Abu Ali ibn Sina, known in the East as "Shaykh ur-rais" and in Western Europe as Avicenna, wrote over 450 works.
The journey of Parisian traveler Edouard Blanc to Central Asia...
Edouard Blanc, a representative of the Geographical Society of Paris, organized an expedition to Central Asia in 1890-1891.
A work that tells about the fixed stars
Several works of the great scientist Mirzo Ulugbek have reached us.
Who brought Ganjavi's work to Iran?
For some unknown reason the Persian poem Makhzan al-asrar (the Treasure of the Secrets) by Nizami Ganjavi was sent to Safavid Iran, where in 1610 – 1620 was added a nice painted double page at the beginning of the book, in the manner of the famous Riza ‘Abbasi of Isfahan.