El-Merosi: the theatre of historical costume

A visit to the El-Merosi theatre is a fine addition to a sightseeing day in Samarkand — and a rare chance to see historical costume moving.

What it is

The company reconstructs the clothing of the peoples who lived on this land from the Sogdians onward: Bactrian, Sogdian, Timurid, Khanate, Bukharan Jewish, and the everyday dress of the last century. Each is researched from murals, miniatures and museum pieces, then made by hand.

What it is not

It is not a folklore show with a dinner attached. The costumes are the subject, the narration is short, and the whole thing runs about an hour.

We book it as an evening after a heavy monument day — it is the only Samarkand programme that does not require you to walk.