Chakan - the colourful embroidery of Tajikistan
One of the crafts we will resarch on is the famous Chakan embroidery. In 2018, UNESCO included the art of chakan embroidery in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Chakan works can be found in all regions inhabited by Tajiks.
The skill of artistically embroidering cotton or silk fabrics with colorful threads is called chakan. The best-known form of this embroidery is the suzani, the embroidered colorful wall hangings, which are ubiquitous in Tajikistan and also in Tajik-inhabited regions of Uzbekistan. But headscarves, bags, blouses and entire dresses are also embroidered. And these embroideries are not only beautiful, they contain rich symbolism such as good wishes for prosperity and health.
The center of Chakan embroidery in Tajikistan is the city of Kulob in the province of Khatlon.
