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Fifty-year-old Savronbi Khasanova has been embroidering suzanis, toupees, chakans (traditional dresses for Southern Tajikistan decorated with various ornaments and embroidery), gulbast and chodars. She is known throughout the area as a talented craftswoman.
“I work for myself and for selling the products, so I can make a decent living without having to rely on my pension, says Savronbi. – My products are mostly purchased by local girls who are getting married. Where else can they find such beautiful garments? That is why they come to me. My products are also demonstrated at national crafts exhibitions and fairs. People like my suzanis. They have a lot of black and white colors – these protect people from evil eye. Each ornament on the suzani characterizes the person’s inner world”.
Savronbi purchases the materials for her products in the local market, but in most cases it is of Iranian origin.
Savronbi wants her craft to bring joy and good mood to the people.

85 M. Khakimov St., Kulyab,
Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (91) 918-6003

Zebo Kholova from Farhor district, Khatlon Region, has been embroidering suzanis since young age. In addition to suzanis, she also embroiders chodar and tagsari. She learned this from her mother, who told her that every woman must learn handicraft and help men support the family. While in fifth grade at school, Zebo started embroidering independently and drawing various ornaments on the fabric. Today her products are highly popular among the local residents, particularly among brides.
The artisan wishes to teach everyone this beautiful craft, so that the ancient tradition of suzani embroidering would be improved and developed.
“At one time, I made a suzani for my own wedding. All girls then were capable of embroidering a suzani; nowadays, it is not popular anymore, and young women are not interested in the handicraft, says Zebo. – I want people to admire and enjoy my work, and I do everything I can for that”.

S.Safarov kolkhoz, Mehnatabad,
Farhor district, Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (95) 172-6549

Mayramgul Khaydarova lives and creates beautiful and skillfully embroidered suzanis, jodar and ruijo in Vose district of Khatlon Region. She has been making these products since childhood, after she learned this skill from her mother. Mayramgul sells her products in the local market, getting good revenue from sales. Her primary customers are young women getting married.
The artisan dreams of improving her suzani embroidering skills and selling her products outside Tajikistan.
“This craft has become my favorite pastime, says Mayramgul. – I try to invest all my skills and efforts into making beautiful things. I am happy when my customers are happy with my products”.
She believes her suzanis and ruijo embroidered with a lot of tenderness, kindness and love will bring happiness to the house of anyone who purchases them.

Gelod village
Vose district, Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (90) 781-8201

Not every woman can become a skilled artisan. This requires talent, just like any other business.
Munira Ubaydelloeva from Vose district of Khatlon Region can already be called a skillful artisan, despite her young age, for the beautiful and brilliantly decorated handmade suzanis, chakan and tagsari she produces. She has a big family – a husband and three children.
Munira admits that embroidery is her favorite job. Like many other craftswomen, she learned embroidery from her mother and she enjoys doing this. Her products are highly demanded in the local market; she also makes products to order.
Munira wishes to improve her sewing skills and expand the range of her products.

Pakhtakor village
Vose district, Khatlon Region

Savzagul Khakimova, a talented 50-year-old craftswoman, lives in Vose district of Khatlon Region. She makes suzanis, toupees and tagsari. Savzagul lives with her husband and children. She learned the suzani embroidery craft from her mother, and now she makes a living off this craft.
Savzagul uses ancient colorful drawings and ornaments in her products, and she always tries to make goods that look attractive and have high quality, matching the tastes and requirements of the customers.
Savzagul wants to teach all her six daughters and daughter-in-law this beautiful and ancient art. She is assured that her suzanis, like all art forms, have a special power. They protect against evil eye, bring happiness and joy to the house.

Jamoat Pakhtakor
Vose district, Khatlon Region

Laylo Kamalova is a resident of Farhor district, Khatlon Region. She is a talented artisan known throughout the area. Laylo is skilled at making tagsari, toupees and chodars, men’s shirts, yakkabands (cradle accessories), a skill she picked from her mother and at labor lessons in school. “Thanks to everyone who taught me to sew, says Laylo. – Now I can create beautiful things for myself and for everyone who wants to by my products. Customers come from Dushanbe and Kulyab. This means my work is appreciated, and that makes me happy. Before I thought embroidery work requires a lot of efforts, more than I could handle. But a person can learn anything and achieve anything if they try hard enough”.
Today Laylo’s craft yields a good revenue for her. However, this is not a stable source of money, and Laylo wants to find a regular sales channel. With the money earned from selling her products, Laylo buys raw materials for her future work, supports her family, and recently she also equipped a mini-facility in a special room where she and several her apprentices make beautiful goods decorated with national embroidery.

S.Safarov kolkhoz, Mehnatabad
Farhor district, Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (93) 505-8568

Gulbakhor Kamolova, a resident of Farhor district, embroiders chakans, curtains, tagsari (pillow cases with embroidered ornaments), ruijo (national bed spreads) and other national goods. She learned from her mother when she was young.
“Embroidery is a labor-intensive work, which requires complete dedication. My mother always told me that a woman without craft is like a tree without fruit. And in order to learn a craft really well, you have to love what you do”, says Gulbakhor.
She works for herself, for her relatives and for her local clients, and during national holidays she displays her goods at fairs and exhibitions.
Unfortunately, Gulbakhor does not have an opportunity to produce the suzanis and chakans regularly, since most of the time she is busy with her work in the field, and she can only be engaged in her favorite craft in winters.

S.Safarov kolkhoz, Mehnatabad,
Farhor district, Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (93) 460-3629

For most rural women, busy with exhausting work in the field and around the house, needle-work is the only ray of light. Sitting down with her crafts, the woman forgets all problems and difficulties. She enters a world of fantasies and dreams, all of which are reflected in her works.
Anorgul Dodarova, a resident of Vose district in Khatlon Region, has been embroidering suzanis and tagsari, national toupees and chodars for many years. This craft is not only a distraction from the difficulties of life, but also the main source of revenue for Anorgul’s family. Her embroidered goods are highly demanded in the local market. She tries to adjust her works to better suit the tastes and requirements of the local women. Anorgul tries to make her products as diverse as possible.
She dreams of improving her skills and selling her goods outside the country.

Gelod village
Vose district, Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (95) 142-5281

Rural residents have a unique opportunity of being in contact with the nature every day. Local artisans implement the beauty and uniqueness of the nature in their works. Zarrina Azimova is a resident of a remote village in Vose district of Khatlon Region; since young age she enjoys embroidering various national and traditional motives in her products. She mostly embroiders suzani, tagsari and national dresses.
She has no problem finding buyers for her products. Zarrina sells her goods in the local market. She carefully studies the traditional embroidering techniques and tries to introduce new motives into her products. Zarrina dreams of expanding the line of her products and eventually supplying them outside the country.

Gelod village, jamoat Pakhtakor
Vose district, Khatlon Region

Rupiamoh Goibova, a resident of Vose district in Khatlon Region, has been interested in embroidery of national goods since young age.
“My neighbors taught me my craft. Back when we were kids, all the girls would get together and embroider suzanis, says Rupiamoh. – This has always been my favorite pastime. While embroidering suzani, we were singing songs, dancing and having a great time”. It was then that the passion for this unique national craft entered her heart.
Now Rupiamoh works together with her mother. Bright, original suzanis, dresses and bed spreads instantly have the buyers’ attention and are purchased happily.
Rupiamoh dreams of learning to embroider better and become the most skilled artisan in her business.

Gelod village
Vose district, Khatlon Region
Telephone: +992 (91) 916-0436