The AFCP was founded by the US Congress in 2001 and is administered by the Cultural Heritage Center, which is a division of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It was established to aid countries around the world in preserving their cultural heritage.

The US Embassy in Uzbekistan said it has supported nine cultural preservation programs in the past ten years. The Bukhara State Local Lore Museum was chosen partially because of its location. An important stop on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara is home to many historic structures and archeological sites.

Over the past 50 years, extensive excavations have yielded tens of thousands of archeological artifacts. The museum’s collection contains ceramic objects, metal items and paintings, with pieces dating from the stone age through late medieval times. Regrettably, the majority of the objects have never been properly cleaned and repaired. The items are vastly important to the history and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan and will greatly enhance the quality of the museum.

The recipient of the 2010 AFCP grant also holds great significance to the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan. It is a project in progress at the Said Ahmad Hodja Medressah Artisan Development Center in Margilan. This project, which is well on its way to completion, is working to revive block printing and establish a natural dye workshop. Block printing (chitgarlik in Uzbek) is a way to create decorative patterns on fabric from a carved block of wood (kolib). Although block printing was once a common practice in Uzbekistan, the traditional process has become almost nonexistent.

By opening a natural dye lab and teaching artisans how to operate it, the project aims to promote the use of natural dyes, which has become less common over time. The natural dye lab will aid in maintaining the historical accuracy of chitgarlik and will foster an ecologically-friendly way to color textiles.

Thus far, using photographs and existing block collections found at museums throughout the country, project participants have recreated and restored over a hundred kolibs. Additionally, participants are conducting ongoing research to gather material for a chitgarlik reference book. The publication will include information about kolibs, natural dyes, dyeing methodology and proper printing techniques. It will be available for the use of the general public, researchers and artisans and published in English, Russian and Uzbek. The project will be completed by the end of 2011.