Useful Information
Tashkent City Info
Tashkent is the current capital of Uzbekistan and also of Tashkent Province. The population of the city in 1999 was 2,142,700.Tashkent is an ancient city and major caravan crossroads on the Silk Road. It started as an oasis on the Chircuk River, near the foothills of the western Tien Shan Mountains. In ancient times, this area was the principality of Chach, whose capital of Kanka had a square citadel built around the 5th to 3rd centuries BC, some 8 km south of the Syr Darya River. By the 7th century AD, Chach had over 30 towns and a network of over 50 canals, forming a trade center between the Sogdians and Turkic nomads. The capital was called Ming-Uruk ("Thousand Apricot Orchard"), and the area was famous for horses, cattle, gold, and precious stones. In 751 AD, the Chinese invaded and executed the prince of Chach, provoking an Arab invasion in return. The Arabs were victorious at the Battle of Talas, and the region subsequently came under the sway of Islam.