Namangan
Encyclopedia
Namangan is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan
(2010 pop. 441,3.). It is the capital of Namangan Province
, in the northern edge of Fergana Valley
of north-eastern Uzbekistan
.
, about 65 km west of Andijan
, and about 75 km north of Fergana
. It is located at 40.98°N 71.58°E 1561 feet (476 meters) above sea level. The Qoradaryo and Naryn River
s join together to form the Syr Darya
just outside the southern edge of the city.
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 Russia
n occupation, Namangan was a center of Islam
ic 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 primary language of the people of the Namangan region is Uzbek; Tajik is spoken partially in Chust and Kasan-sai districts.
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 the conservative Wahabi sect from Saudi Arabia
. This has also translated into political opposition against the secular government of Uzbekistan. Some women have discarded traditional colorful scarves for large white veils or even the black paranja
.
Main Tourist Sights of Namangan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
(2010 pop. 441,3.). It is the capital of Namangan Province
Namangan Province
Namangan Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan, located in the southern part of the Fergana Valley in far eastern part of the country. It is on the right bank of Syr Darya River and borders with Kyrgyzstan, Fergana Province and Andijan Province. It covers an area of 7,900 km2...
, in the northern edge of Fergana Valley
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
of north-eastern Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
.
Geography
Namangan is about 300 km east of TashkentTashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
, about 65 km west of Andijan
Andijan
Andijan or Andizhan is the fourth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the Andijan Province. It is located in the east of the country, at , in the Fergana Valley, near the border with Kyrgyzstan on the Andijan-Say River...
, and about 75 km north of Fergana
Fergana
Fergana is a city , the capital of Fergana Province in eastern Uzbekistan, at the southern edge of the Fergana Valley in southern Central Asia, cutting across the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan...
. It is located at 40.98°N 71.58°E 1561 feet (476 meters) above sea level. The Qoradaryo and Naryn River
Naryn River
The Naryn River rises in the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, flowing west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Here it merges with the Kara Darya River to form the Syr Darya...
s join together to form the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
just outside the southern edge of the city.
History
Namangan was originally a settlement of the native turkish population of Central-Asia. After the destructive earthquake in Akhsikanth city, the population of the city moved to Namangan.Namangan was known to have been a settlement in the 15th century and a part of the Khanate of Kokand
Khanate of Kokand
The Khanate of Kokand was a state in Central Asia that existed from 1709–1883 within the territory of modern eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan...
by the middle of the 18th century. It takes its name from the local salt mines (in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: نمککان namak kan). At the time of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n occupation, Namangan was a center of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic learning, with 20 madrassahs and over 600 mosques. After annexation by the Russians in 1876, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
production and food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
became the dominant economic activity. Namangan suffered a destructive earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1926. The primary language of the people of the Namangan region is Uzbek; Tajik is spoken partially in Chust and Kasan-sai districts.
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 the conservative Wahabi sect from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. This has also translated into political opposition against the secular government of Uzbekistan. Some women have discarded traditional colorful scarves for large white veils or even the black paranja
Paranja
Paranja was a traditional Central Asian robe of women and girls, that covered the head and body; the part that covered the face, known as the chachvan, was heavy in weight and made from horsehair. It was especially prevalent among urban Uzbeks and Tajiks....
.
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 AsiaCentral AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
; now home to local branch of the Wahabi 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 MongolsMongolsMongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
, rebuilt by the Timurids and abandoned in the 17th century for Namangan after an earthquake.