Tashkent

Tashkent -- Capital of Uzbekistan
Tashkent -- One of the oldest cities in the Central Asia
Tashkent -- The most beautiful city in the Central Asia

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and also of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2006 was 2.1 million. According to unofficial data, the population is more than 3 million.




At first, you may be disappointed that Tashkent is not the Arabian Nights fantasia that its name suggests. But once you have got over the initial shock of the Soviet architecture, you realize that there is much more to this city than meets the eye, with plenty of its heritage still intact at the same time as being the cosmopolitan capital of 21st century Uzbekistan.

Tashkent started as an oasis on the Chirchik River, near the foothills of the Golestan Mountains. In ancient times, this area contained Beitian, probably the summer "capital" of the Kangju confederacy.

Tashkent, like all the Silk Road cities, has a romantic and turbulent history. From the time of the 8th century Arab occupation, it grew to be an important trade and cultural centre The city was flattened by Ghengis Khan and his Mongol hordes but its fortunes revived under Tamerlane (Timur) and it went on to become the richest city in Central Asia.

In the 19th century, it fell into the hands of Tsarist Russia, and a European quarter was built to the east of the old city. However, almost the whole city was destroyed either in the 1917 Russian Revolution or in the devastating earthquake that shook the entire region in 1966.

Today the remnants of the eski shakhar (old town) in the west of the city are well worth seeing - a maze of mud brick houses with mosques and madrassahs (schools) that have been spared by Soviet planners. Khasret Imam is a 16th century square with the Bharak khan madrassah, the Kaffa Shashi mausoleum and two mosques.

The Eski Juva bazaar at the 9th century Chorsu (crossroads) is a huge, colourful market that has been operating from the same site for 2,000 years. The 15th century Djammi Mosque and 16th century Kukeldash madrassah are nearby.

The government has poured money into Tashkent's infrastructure and it is an impressive place to visit, with tree-lined streets, pleasant parks and fountains, and excellent public transport.