Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- From 28 to 30 May, Bukhara turned into a real oriental fairy tale. The 19th traditional Festival "Silk and Spices" was solemnly opened here. By tradition, the program includes a grandiose procession of festival guests, who will move in a colorful column from the Ark fortress to the Labi Hovuz complex.

As part of the info-tour organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, folk groups will perform, an exhibition of national, foreign crafts and spice trade, a children's dance festival, a competition of national dishes "Plov Festival", an exhibition of photo artists, a special fashion show "Silk and Spices Fashion Day”and other events will be held.

The Silk and Spices Festival is an annual celebration held in Bukhara, a city on the Great Silk Road. Thousands of years ago, caravans loaded with silk and spices went from China to Europe, passing through mountain passes and lifeless deserts, and stopped in blooming oases. Bukhara was one of those cities through which the trade route from East to West must have passed. In addition, the best masters of pottery, embossing, carpet weaving, gold embroidery and other crafts lived here.

At the beginning of the 21st century, thanks to the efforts of the Uzbektourism national company, the Bukhara City Hall, and the Hunarmand Association of Craftsmen, the first Silk and Spices festival was organized to revive the cultural heritage of the Great Silk Road and show the richness of the traditions of local craftsmen. The idea turned out to be so good that the festival became annual, and each time it attracted more and more tourists. Traditionally, the festival takes place for several days in late May - early June.

At the Silk and Spices festival the participants will find themselves in the world of an oriental fairy tale. At the opening, a festive procession usually takes place, where people dress up in national costumes, artists, dancers, acrobats and strongmen perform. Detachments of medieval warriors line up near the walls of the Ark fortress, and caravans of camels and horses pass along the street connecting the trading domes of Bukhara. All this creates the impression of a journey a thousand years ago.

After the opening ceremony, guests enjoy a unique fair, where the works of various folk craftsmen and artisans are widely presented - gold embroidery national clothes of craftswomen from Samarkand, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya, embossed products from Bukhara, porcelain interior items and dishes from the sunny Fergana Valley, fabrics - atlas and adras - widely known all over the world.

Separately, I would like to mention the spicy and aromatic spices that give a special mood to the fair, thanks to their variegated colors and pungent fragrance.

The end of the "Silk and Spices" festival is traditionally a big concert in the Poi-Kalyan architectural ensemble, where you can hear all the richness of Uzbek folk music.

The annual festival "Silk and Spices" held in Bukhara is perhaps one of the main events in the cultural life of Uzbekistan. This event attracts a huge number of tourists from all over the world and reveals the culture of the eastern peoples in full.