Lefteris S.
Google
The State Museum of Applied Art and Handicrafts History of Uzbekistan.
The State Museum of Applied Art and Handicrafts History of Uzbekistan provides an excellent introduction to Uzbek history and culture. Ιt displays more than 7,000 examples of traditional folk art. These include a range of mediums from decorative glass to porcelain and fabrics, all dating from the first half of the 19th century to the present.
The museum houses in a palace, with traditional architecture features, a layout and elements common to mosques and to late-19th century aristocratic households. The central hall is a traditional mehmonkhona, a word that roughly translates as “guest room”. Designed like a mosque, it is square-shaped with four columns and a mihrab. However, the palace’s mihrab only plays a decorative role here. The room truly awes its visitors and is a museum piece in and of itself.
The two contemplative inscriptions above the doors are written in Persian but with Arabic writing: “The world is like a caravanserai with two doors, they enter through one, and they leave through the other,” reads one; “And every day there are more and more new guests in this caravanserai,” says the other.
The museum provides an audio tour.
