Namangan

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.

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 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.

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 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 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...
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