Traditional International Festival of Shyrdak held in Naryn

Bishkek, June 30, 2022. / Kabar /. The traditional International Festival "Kyrgyz Shyrdagy - XII" was held in Naryn town of Kyrgyzstan from June 28 to June 29.

More than 100 artisans from all the regions of Kyrgyzstan took part in the festival. Within the framework of the festival, various competitions, a scientific and practical conference on the history of Kyrgyz Shyrdak, exhibitions of national dishes and crafts were held.

The purpose of the festival is to preserve the cultural heritage, revive the continuity of traditional knowledge, develop crafts and industry based on cultural heritage, and turn Kyrgyzstan into an international zone of environmentally friendly cultural tourism.

Shyrdak is a stitched, and often handmade colourful felt floor-covering. It is made using mosaic technique, which is one of the most difficult, while one of the most important qualities of shyrdak is durability. The average service life of a shyrdak is about 100 years, sometimes even more.

Making one shyrdak carpet is a laborious process, so it takes 2 to 6 months for craftswomen to make one carpet, provided that she only deals with this carpet, but most often Kyrgyz women work in groups, which mainly include representatives of the same family.

Among the Kyrgyz, the shyrdak carpet is one of the most valuable household items.