Gijduvan

Gijduvan makes pottery in a style distinct from the blue of Rishtan: yellow, green and brown glazes in freehand geometric patterns, produced by a family of potters who have worked for six generations and run a workshop and museum open to visitors. The town also holds a madrasa built by Ulugbek in 1433, one of three he founded, standing beside the shrine of Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani, a Sufi teacher. The town sits on the old road between Bukhara and Samarkand, which is why a madrasa of that size was built in a place otherwise this small.

What you actually see

• The Gijduvan glazes - yellow, green and brown patterns distinct from Rishtan's blue.
• The family workshop - six generations of potters, with a museum and classes.
• The Ulugbek madrasa - the 1433 building, one of three he founded.
• The Gijduvani shrine - the tomb of the Sufi teacher beside the madrasa.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the comfortable months. Workshops keep daytime hours. Summer heat is severe.

Honest expectations

The workshop visit ends with sales and prices are aimed at visitors. The madrasa is heavily restored. The town otherwise has little for visitors.

Nearby

Bukhara is southwest, and the Jeyran Ecocenter is south.