Today, like many centuries ago, khan-atlas is one of the most recognizable brands in Uzbekistan. A rave of color of the silk is amazing in its originality and magnificence. It is interesting that khan-atlas is used in their collections by well-known designers like Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, John Galliano. It is very pleasing that today the khan - atlas recovered its former glory and again adorns women from all over the world.
The legend of the royal silk says that once one of the rulers of Margilan fell in love with a daughter of the poor weaver and was going to make her his fifth wife. The miserable father threw at the ruler’s feet and begged him to release his daughter .The ruler agreed, but only on terms that by morning, the weaver would create something so beautiful that would be able to overshadow the beauty of his daughter.
The regretful old man went to a bank of aryk (local canal). He spent there a long time in thoughts not noticing the rain start mixing with his tears. Suddenly the rain stopped and the poor weaver saw the reflection of clouds in the water. The clouds were turned in all colors of the rainbow. The weaver happily exclaimed - "Oh heaven, thank you for the idea!" He went to his workshop and worked there all night, but in the morning he unfolded before the khan’s sight a marvelous fabric sparkling with all colors of the rainbow and fluffy like a cloud and light like the air.
The ruler asked how he managed to create such a miracle in just one night, to which the following words were said: “I took the greenery of the foliage washed by the rain, added the color of the tulip petals, the glow of dawn, the blue of the night sky, the patch of the sunlight on the river, and the c of my beloved daughter’s eyes and mixed all them. ” The ruler was shocked by the beauty of the fabric, so he forgot about his bride and agreed to let her go. The fabric of incredible beauty was called Ruler's silk or Khan-atlas.
In the old days, Bukhara was the center of khan - atlas. But Margilan masters made it so much skillfully that up to now it has been considered as one of the best quality.
The process of making khan - atlas by hand is very complicated, it includes up to forty stages. Only natural ingredients are used for dying: pomegranate peels, onion husks, madder, extracts from roots, fruits and plants. A special painting technique creates a unique pattern called abr which means a cloud.
In Europe, however, the fabric is more known by the name of ikat.
The Khan Atlas continues holding the prevail among other fabrics pleasing its owners with brightness, tenderness and beauty.
