Самарқанд қоғози (Samarqand Qog'oz)
Samarkand paper (Самарқанд қоғози) was the finest paper in the medieval Islamic world — mentioned by Arab geographers as early as 751 CE following the Battle of Talas, when Chinese papermakers captured by Arab forces introduced the technique to Central Asia. The Samarkand tradition was destroyed by Mongol invasion (1220 CE) and the Soviet period suppressed revival attempts. The Meros paper workshop in Samarkand revived the tradition in 1995 using historical descriptions and Chinese mulberry paper techniques. The defining technical knowledge is the beating duration calibration: mulberry bark fibers must be beaten until the pulp 'holds a fingerprint for exactly three seconds.' The same three-second standard as Tibetan gtor-ma (CRAFT-0620) applied to paper pulp.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Uzbekistan national ICH list; UNESCO Silk Road heritage recognition
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