Uzbekistan: Andijan - the oldest city in the Ferghana Valley

Uzbekistan is a country that is located in the heart of Central Asia. It is considered one of the oldest in this area and has a rich and rich history. The modern state is divided into 12 administrative regions, each of which has its own center. Recently, the choice of tourists is increasingly falling on Uzbekistan. Andijan - that's what city attracts their attention!

Location of the city and its population

Andijan is located in the eastern part of the Ferghana Valley, surrounded by picturesque mountains and hills, here is a subtropical climate, thanks to which favorable conditions for the cultivation of "white gold" - cotton. In a surprisingly hospitable country (Uzbekistan), Andijan occupies the third place in terms of area (its territory is equal to 120 km ² ) and the fourth largest in terms of population. The city is the administrative center of the Andijan region.

In this sunny city there live kind, industrious and very simple people who always welcome guests. The population is approximately 450,000, of which more than 90% are ethnic Uzbeks, about 5% are Russians (arrived here in the Soviet era), 3% are Tatars, and 2% are other ethnic groups (Koreans, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Turks). The most common religion is Sunni Islam, but the city has a sufficient number of churches of various Christian denominations.

Economic development of the city

In many respects (namely: cotton production, gas export, gold mining, etc.) the leading place in the world economy is occupied by the Republic of Uzbekistan. The city of Andijan is the center of industrial, industrial, scientific and cultural development in the Fergana Valley. There are large industrial enterprises, major scientific research centers and universities.

An important component of the economy, which has an impact not only on the welfare of the city, but the entire republic as a whole, is the automotive industry. In the suburbs of Andijan region, in Asaka, there is a large machine-building plant producing cars under the brand GM (formerly called Daewoo).

What does modern Andizhan look like?

Every year it becomes more beautiful, modern buildings are being erected instead of obsolete buildings, new schools and colleges are opening, and with the development of small business the whole city is literally buried in numerous shops, hotels, beauty salons, cafes and restaurants.

How does the ancient city of the Republic of Uzbekistan Andijan look like? Conditionally it can be divided into two parts: it is the Old Town, where ancient monuments (mosques, workshops and cultural monuments) have been preserved, and the territory of the New Bazaar, to which all modern Andijan is adjacent. The townspeople believe that it is here, in the area called "Eski Shahar", that the heart of the city is located. The whole day the noise of loud-spoken sellers of oriental goods is not quenched in this place, here at every step there are cozy cafes and canteens offering traditional Uzbek dishes to travelers, and one more novelty is a huge number of ticket offices. Not surprisingly, many residents leave for the near abroad in search of work, so buying a ticket Uzbekistan (Andijan has its own airport) - Russia is not difficult.

Attractions and cultural monuments

The most ancient, interesting and exciting history on the territory of Central Asia is the state of Uzbekistan. Andijan is the same city that managed to preserve some cultural monuments. They and to this day tell tourists about the former glory and grandeur of the once-known empire of the Great Moguls. Of course, there are not so many ancient buildings in Andijan, like, for example, in Samarkand or Bukhara, however those sights that have survived are worth it for them to come to this sunny city!

The most interesting monuments are mosques and madrasahs, decorated with domes and stars, as the canons of the Islamic religion demand. The oldest Friday mosque is in the Old Town area and dates back to the 18th century. Another attraction is the minaret of Jami, its height is more than 32 meters (this is the highest building in the whole city).

The city is famous for its entertainment parks, in which a large number of attractions operate. The most visited is the park named after. Pushkin, he is in the center of the city and is a favorite place not only for children, but also for adults.

Interesting facts from the history

Ancient Bactria and Sogdiana, Khorezm Khanate, Maverannahr and Khorasan - some lands of these historical places were located on the territory of the modern Republic of Uzbekistan. G. Andijan is one of the oldest cities in this country, its first name Andukan was first mentioned in documents of the IX century.

Andijan is famous for its natives, who made a huge contribution to the rich and colorful culture of the city. One of them is Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, who was born here in 1483. He is the founder of the state of the Great Moguls (Baburids), he was also the ruler of India and the commander in Afghanistan.