Introduction
The capital and largest city of Uzbekistan, Tashkent is also one of the largest cities in Central Asia. Tashkent lies in the narrow eastern part of the country, near the border with Kazakhstan. The city is in the fertile Chirchiq River valley. Although Tashkent dates back at least 2,000 years, many of its historic buildings were destroyed in a 1966 earthquake.
Places of interest
Tashkent's Old Town contains narrow streets, buildings made of mud bricks, and several mosques. The more modern areas of the city were built by the Russians who have lived in Tashkent since the late 19th century. The modern center of the city is a square surrounded by government buildings. Among the city's Muslim sites are the Barak Khan Madrassah, which used to be an important Islamic school. Another famous site is the Kukeldash Madrassah, built in the 16th century. A few other Islamic schools, religious buildings, and monuments in the city also date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Tashkent has a many cultural attractions. The Museum of Fine Arts displays a collection of ancient art from Uzbekistan, Russia, and other parts of the world. At the Museum of Applied Arts, people can see a wide variety of handicrafts that were made in Uzbekistan. There are several theaters and concert halls in Tashkent. The Navoi Opera and Ballet Theater is named for a famous 15th-century Turkish poet. The city is also an important center of education. The University of World Economy and Diplomacy is located there, as is Tashkent State University.
Economy
Service and manufacturing jobs are very important to Tashkent's economy. Factories in Tashkent make most of Uzbekistan's cotton cloth. Machines, metal products, airplanes, packaged foods, electronics, and footwear are some of the other products made there. Many people work for the national government, while others depend on jobs in construction, business offices, banks, schools, hospitals, and restaurants. Large cotton fields surround Tashkent, and coal mines are also nearby.
History
For tens of thousands of years people have lived in the area where Tashkent stands today. The remains of early hunters and farmers have been found nearby. A town was started on the site at least 2,000 years ago. Tashkent became a trading center on the famous Silk Road, which connected Europe and eastern Asia in ancient times.
In the 5th century BC, Tashkent became part of the Persian Empire. Alexander the Great brought it under Greek control in the 3rd century BC. Different groups later ruled Tashkent, including the Turks. Arabs took the city in the 8th century AD. From that time, Muslim rulers controlled the city for hundreds of years. The Mongols took over the city in the 1200s.
By the time the Russians claimed Tashkent in 1865, it was a walled city of about 70,000 people. Tashkent grew quickly after a railroad was built in the late 1800s. Under the Russians, Tashkent was divided into old and new parts. The new part of the city had a European style. The Russians lived there. Uzbeks and other Central Asians lived in the old part of the city. Eventually the two parts blended together, with Russians and Central Asians often living side by side. Tashkent became the capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1930.
The Russians built cotton-cloth factories in Tashkent in the early 1900s. In the 1940s, during World War II, Tashkent became important for making military airplanes. The city still had several factories after the war. In 1966 Tashkent suffered a terrible earthquake. Many buildings were destroyed, and thousands of people were killed. In the years following, the city was rebuilt and a subway was opened.
When the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, Uzbekistan became an independent country with Tashkent as its capital. Although large numbers of Russians left other parts of the country, many stayed in Tashkent. Population (1998 estimate), 2,124,000.
