Museum of Applied Arts — Attraction in Tashkent

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...

I saw many museums in Uzbekistan, this one got most of the things right. It was well maintained and there were some lovely displays to view.

At the entrance you can scan a QR code through which you can download an audio guide which will provide you with some good information about the museum and its exhibits.

I particularly liked the display of the traditional musical instruments and the QR codes next to them which you can scan to listen to an audio of the instrument being played. Such minor additions can really help enhance the experience of visitors.

I paid 40,000 UZS through my google wallet tap...

Ticket foreigners - 25000

Lots of interesting items throughout the museum. Most of them are made with in the last 50 years. If you're looking for older artifacts this is probably not your place. We enjoyed seeing the national costumes and lots of the weaving work.

You can scan the free Wi-Fi code on the wall to get connected. You can also scan the codes by the displays to learn more about them but we couldn't get it to work. The museum website came up but the pictures wouldn't show and no audio played.

Worth an hour or two visit and it's in a pleasant neighborhood for a walk or a...