Samarkand paper workshop

Samarkand is the pearl of Central Asia, a city that has always been famous for the best masters of architecture, gold embroidery, blacksmiths and potters. Over time, Samarkand paper-making masters also became world-famous. However, the history of paper creation in Samarkand goes back to its origins in China.

History knows more than a dozen wars and conquests as a result of which entire civilizations were destroyed. However, the same story gives quite a few examples of how, as a result of wars, cultural exchange took place and a new round of civilization arose. One such example is the conquest of Central Asia by the Chinese army in 751, but the capture of Samarkand by these troops was not crowned with success, as it was repelled by the ruler Abu Muslim. As a result of the victory, Abu Muslim captured 20 thousand Chinese, who revealed to the Samarkand masters all the secrets of papermaking techniques. Local craftsmen did not stop at the received recipe, but engaged in its improvement, as a result of which Samarkand paper was obtained, which was distinguished by its strength, smoothness and absorbed a small amount of ink. The paper quickly conquered the world market and became the most popular in Arab countries and in Europe.

The most famous were four types of paper:

“Samarkand sultan kogozi”, which translates as “sultan paper”, which was distinguished by its snow-white color, thinness and softness.

“Mir-Ibrahimi” is a paper that carried a watermark in the form of a white ring.

“Samarkand shoyi kogozi”, which means “silk”, and it was distinguished by its light yellow color, thinness and smoothness.

“Nimkanop” is a paper of a comfortable brown shade, which conveniently shaded the ink without straining the eyes when reading.

But the history of the medieval Samarkand paper began the same way it ended, that is, with the war. At the beginning of the XIX century, due to the incessant wars between Bukhara and Samarkand and the invasion of the Dzungars, the Samarkand workshop was destroyed, and the unique technology sank into oblivion. 

The revival of the history of Samarkand paper began in 1995, when the “Kongil-Meros” Association, with the support of UNESCO, acquired a plot of land on the banks of the Siab River, where it built a workshop and a small watermill. “Kongil-Meros” is an association of two brothers Zarif and Islam Mukhtarov, where the word “kongil”, which translates as “soul”, was taken from the name of the village where the medieval workshop was previously located, and the word “meros” means “heritage”. It was they who studied archival documents about the unique technology of paper production and its preserved samples. Further, it took 10 years to bring the technology to perfection by means of numerous experiments. And today, not far from the center of Samarkand, on the banks of the Siab River, you can find an operating paper workshop where paper is made to order for private enterprises, for tourists and by state order.

The composition of the paper includes cotton, mulberry bark and silk threads. The main secret, thanks to which Samarkand paper has been famous at all times, is the addition of mulberry bark to its composition. 

The technology of paper production, which any tourist can follow in real time and even participate in the process, has no analogues in the world. 

It all starts with a slight decrease in air temperature, when the master begins to collect and harvest thin mulberry twigs. A cambial ring is cut from the twigs, which is then boiled and dried. Then, the dried mass, which consists of fibers, is crushed and washed in water. After that, the water is decanted, and the mass, which is shaped like paper, is dried in the sun. After that, a special master loaner puts the dried layers on a marble stone and begins to polish them with a seashell until they acquire the desired fineness and smoothness. 

Each visitor of the workshop can not only participate in the process of making paper, but also walk around the spacious courtyard, see the watermill and buy souvenirs.