For 70 years, Bukhara master Shokir Kamolov has been a blacksmith. His ancestors worked in an emir’s palace. Having continued the craft of previous generations, he earned authority and fame among the people. His products have become famous not only throughout Uzbekistan but also in many countries of the world.

Master Shokir Kamolov is a fifth-generation blacksmith. In a workshop with a five-hundred-year history, products are made in an ancient manual way. Tourists in Bukhara visit this workshop, which was built in the 16th century and is popularly called “Saroy Kulita.” Famous masters such as Usta Shamsiddin and Usta Sharif worked in the workshop. Today, Shavkiddin and Zavkiddin Kamolovs continue their ancestors’ profession with their father.

Thanks to his craft, Shokir Kamolov visited many countries, where exhibitions of his products were organized. He studied unique works by foreign masters and, as a result, managed to return the real Bukhara knives to his homeland.

In 1992, a museum was established in the blacksmith’s workshop. Here, visitors can see products made by representatives of the dynasty in different years, samples of historical forges, and diplomas and certificates obtained at exhibitions in foreign countries. Now, the People’s Master of Uzbekistan is working on opening another museum.

Today, the museum has more than a thousand exhibits. The excellent workshop, which has become a unique landmark of ancient Bukhara, keeps many secrets.

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Z. Komilov, photos by T. Istatov, UzA