UNESCO has selected Bukhara in Uzbekistan to host the 2027 annual conference of its Creative Cities Network. The organisation announced the choice on October 30, ahead of World Cities Day, highlighting the city’s traditions in crafts and folk art.
Bukhara joined the network in the Crafts and Folk Art category in 2023. The forthcoming gathering is intended to bring together city representatives, cultural practitioners and experts to exchange ideas on creative industries, local development and international cooperation.
The network, established in 2004, has 408 member cities, according to UNESCO’s announcement. Its annual meetings provide a forum for sharing approaches to cultural policy and developing partnerships between cities.
For Bukhara, the selection connects its historic Silk Road heritage with continuing efforts to support artisans and pass traditional skills to new generations. UNESCO has not specified the dates of the 2027 meeting in this announcement. The network’s separate 2026 conference is scheduled for November 25–27 in Essaouira, Morocco, before the annual gathering moves to Uzbekistan.
Chor Minor in Bukhara, photographed in November 2012. Illustrative archive photograph; not a confirmed conference venue. Photo: David Stanley, Char Minar, CC BY 2.0.
