Namangan
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| Namangan | |
  Namangan
|
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| Coordinates: 40°98′N 71°58′E / 41.633°N 71.967°E | |
| Country |  Uzbekistan |
|---|---|
| Province | Namangan Province |
| Elevation | 476 m (1,562 ft) |
| Population (1999) | |
| - Total | 432,456. |
Namangan (Russian: Наманган) is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan (2006 pop. 432,456.). It is the capital of Namangan Province, in the northern edge of Fergana Valley of north-eastern Uzbekistan.
[edit] Geography
Namangan is about 300 km east of Tashkent, about 65 km west of Andijan, and about 75 km north of Fergana. It is located at 40°59′N 71°35′E / 40.98°N 71.58°E 1561 feet (476 meters) above sea level. The Qoradaryo and Naryn Rivers join together to form the Syr Darya just outside the southern edge of the city.
[edit] History
As the Iranian name of the city suggests, Namangan was originally a settlement of the native Persian population of Central-Asia.
Namangan was known to have been a settlement in the 15th century and a part of the Khanate of Kokand by the middle of the 18th century. It takes its name from the local salt mines (in Persian: نمککان namak kan). At the time of the Russian occupation, Namangan was a center of Islamic learning, with 20 madrassahs and over 600 mosques. After annexation by the Russians in 1876, cotton production and food processing became the dominant economic activity. Namangan suffered a destructive earthquake in 1926. The language of the people of the Namangan district, is still largely Persian of the Tajik dialect, particularly in the Kasan-sai (kosonsoy) and Akhsikath districts on the Kasan river.
Since Uzbekistan independence in 1991, Namangan has gained a reputation for Islamic awakening, with many mosques and schools funded by charity organizations from Middle Eastern countries, including, conservative Wahabi sect from Saudi Arabia.[citation needed] This has also translated into political opposition against the secular government of Uzbekistan.[citation needed] Some women have discarded traditional colorful scarves for large white veils or even the black paranja.[citation needed]
Main Tourist Sights of Namangan
- Mullo Kyrgyz Madrasseh – built in 1910
- Mosque of Ota Valikhan Tur – built in 1915, and one of the largest in Central Asia; now home to local branch of the Wahibi sect
- Namangan Natural History Museum – housing local archaeological discoveries
- Hadja Amin Kabri Architectural Complex – ornate terra-cotta facade from the 18th to 19th century
- Akhsykent ruins - 1st century settlement located 25 km west of Namangan, on the Syr-Darya River. Formerly capital of Fergana Valley, it was destroyed by the Mongols, rebuilt by the Timurids and abandoned in the 17th century for Namangan after an earthquake.
[edit] External links
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