Plans are afoot to build a new cultural and tourist complex called ‘Little Turkmenistan’ in the Uzbek city of Bukhara. This was reported by the online publication ‘Business Turkmenistan’.

The prospects for the project were discussed at a working meeting between the Deputy Chair of Uzbekistan’s Committee on Tourism and representatives of the Turkish investment company ‘Finwest Finance Company’, the Eurasian Union of Local Authorities, and the Uzbek-Turkmen joint venture TURKMEN HALY LLC, which specialises in the production and promotion of traditional Turkmen carpets.

The future complex will be dedicated to the culture of Turkmenistan — visitors will be able to learn about the history, traditions and crafts of the Turkmen people. The creation of the complex is part of a trend towards the development of ethnographic and cultural tourism in Central Asia, where, instead of individual souvenir shops or temporary exhibitions, fully-fledged spaces are being created to introduce visitors to the cultures of neighbouring countries.