Experience Traditional Felt-Making and Craft Your Own Souvenir

Altyn Oimok (Golden Thimble )NGO
This Kyrgyz crafts workshop produces shyrdaks (Kyrgyz felt carpets) and other traditional handicrafts. It employs more than 30 rural women and seeks to educate the next generation in the production of traditional crafts. The NGO delivers workshops that showcase the techniques and stories behind nomadic Kyrgyz handicrafts.

In 2014,the organization received a UNESCO Award of Excellence in Handicrafts,a feat achieved by only a small number of craftspersons across the country. Allyn Oimok is located in the village of Bokonbaevo on the South Shore of Lake lssyk-Kul, surrounded by snow-capped mountains on one side and the sacred Lake lssyk-Kul on the other.

Felt – The Versatile Fabric of Nomadic Traditions in Kyrgyzstan
Felt-making traditions have historically played an important role in Kyrgyz culture, a skill that continues to supply yurts and everyday household products for nomadic herders as they migrate across mountain pastures (jailoos)during summer months with their grazing flocks.

Shyrdak and ala-kiyiz rugs can be seen in nearly every Kyrgyz yurt and traditional home. These felt products are as rich in color as they are in design and overall beauty,and each rug or textile reflects a living history of the country,the family,and its creator. Learn about the entire felt-making process from pulling the wool to dyeing the yarn and the stories behind traditional Kyrgyz handicrafts from UNESCOcertified craftswomen. Then craft your own heritage art souvenir that you can use to adorn your own home with the spirit and history of Kyrgyzstan.