Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The European publication Diplomat Magazine published an article by the journalist Hester Dijkstra dedicated to the First International Festival of Folk Applied Arts, held in Qoqand in September this year, Dunyo news agency reported.

Directly participating in the event, the Belgian journalist wrote about everything that she saw and what struck her in Uzbekistan.

Paying tribute to the beauty and historical significance of the ancient Uzbek cities - Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent, the author writes that Qoqand is no less interesting and beautiful place, the center of various crafts, where, as well as throughout the republic, there are monuments ancient architecture.

“The city lying along the route of the ancient Silk Road was destroyed several times, but in the XVIII century, under the rule of Khudayar Khan, the last ruling khan, he again became a prosperous city, a political, cultural and spiritual center with 35 madrassas and 300 mosques. Although only some of them have survived to the present day, the old part of the city, especially the Khudayar Khan Palace, is a real gem,” the article says.

Talking about the festival itself, the author writes that it was attended by masters from 78 countries, as well as 1,100 Uzbek masters who demonstrated their handmade works. In her opinion, the success of the festival was predetermined and due to the rich historical heritage and great attention paid to the development of culture and art in the republic, preservation of folk traditions and crafts. This is evidenced by the fact that this cultural event was decided to be held in Qoqand every two years.

The journalist was greatly impressed by the opening ceremony of the festival, at which the participants and guests were welcomed by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The colorful concert show following his performance, she said, was no less inspiring and vibrant.

The openness and talent of the masters also impressed the European journalist. She calls everything she saw at the festival unique masterpieces, and the most difficult thing, in her opinion, was to choose memorable souvenirs from all presented, including ceramics, embroidered tapestries - suzanne, jewelry, musical instruments, silk pillows and scarves, pen drawings, furniture made of wood and bowls.

The author talks about his acquaintance with Uzbek artisans. She writes that most of them are hereditary masters, followers of family traditions, representatives of entire dynasties, which are known throughout the republic and abroad.

The article also reports that the Netherlands was represented by paper makers Leo Hoogen and Marique de Hoop at the First Festival of Folk Arts and Crafts in Qoqand. In the Dutch pavilion, Hester Dijkstra's book on crafts of Uzbekistan, Worldwide-Uzbekistan, masters, was also presented.

In conclusion, the author recommends that tourists visiting our country not to miss the Ferghana Valley, which is known as the greenest region of the republic, and which is home to very tasty, sweet, fresh fruits.