Registan Craft Stalls and Madrasa Workshops

The streets and madrasa courtyards around Registan Square in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, hold the city's densest concentration of souvenir and craft stalls. Cells of the madrasas around the square and the adjacent Registan Street sell handcrafted items such as wood carvings, miniature paintings, embroidered suzani textiles, ceramics, silk scarves, and hats. Prices are higher than in the bazaars because of the location, so bargaining is expected: starting near 60 percent of the first price is common. Most shops open mid-morning and stay open into the evening, and some stalls close in the heat of the afternoon. Quality varies from handmade to factory-made imports, so visitors should ask whether an item is made locally and look at stitching and paint. Entry to the Registan itself is ticketed, but the shops on Registan Street outside the complex are free to browse. Suzani wall hangings range from about 300,000 to 3,000,000 UZS (roughly $25 to $250), ceramics from 40,000 to 300,000 UZS (about $3.3 to $25) and silk scarves from 100,000 to 500,000 UZS (about $8 to $42). Cash is preferred; some shops accept cards.