Tashkent (city)

Capital of Uzbekistan and of Tashkent wiloyat (region), located in the western foothills of the Tien Shan mountain range and in the valley of the River Chirchiq. With a population (1999) of 2,142,700, it is the largest city in Central Asia. It is an important transit centre for the region; there is an international airport terminal here. The Tashkent region is the major industrial centre of Uzbekistan, and industries include the manufacture of mining and textile machinery, chemicals, textiles, food processing, and leather goods. The city is also a major educational and cultural centre, home to the University of Tashkent (1920), the Uzbek Academy of Sciences (1943), and a number of museums and theatres, including the Navoi Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Tashkent suffered severe damage in an earthquake in 1966, but was rapidly rebuilt.

Settlement at Tashkent may date back as far as the 1st century BC. The city was taken by the Arabs in the 8th century, the Turks in the 12th century and by the Mongol leader Tamerlane in 1361. The khan of Kokand annexed the town in 1809, and in 1865 it was captured by Russian forces. A new Russian city arose around the ancient settlement, and Tashkent became the centre for the conquest of the other Central Asian khanates.