Cities

Shymkent is a large city in Southern Kazakhstan, which is the administrative center of the South Kazakhstan region. The city has a long and interesting history associated with various stages of development of the region.

Ancient times: The territory of modern Shymkent has been inhabited since ancient times. At different periods, nomadic tribes passed through here, and cities and settlements were created.

Middle Ages: In the Middle Ages, the territory of Shymkent was part of various kingdoms and states, including the Horde, the Golden Horde and other Turkic principalities.

Jizak (or Jizzax / Jizzakh) is the administrative center of the Jizzakh region, a city of regional subordination of 180,000 inhabitants. A major transport hub, economic, scientific, educational and cultural center of the region. Located on the highway between Tashkent and Samarkand. It is also connected to these towns by a railway line. It is located on the northern foothills of the Nuratau Ridge, on the Sanzar River, in the southern part of the Mirzachul Steppe. It was founded in the 10th century, in an oasis rich in vegetation, as an important transit point on the Great Silk Road.

The city was founded in 1958 and was part of the Bukhara region. It was established as a mining center for the extraction of rare-earth elements, precious metals, and uranium.

The city was named Navoi in honor of the famous Uzbek poet and philosopher Alisher Navoi. It has about 136,000 inhabitants.

The city of Karshi or Qarchi developed from a colony which was established from the 7th century BC. It was then that defensive walls began to be built around the ancient city. The remains of the ruins of these walls were first studied by archaeologists in 1999.

There is evidence that the city at this time had the Sogdian name Navtak, which can literally be translated as "New Building". As part of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, the city may have been called Eucratideus.

Gulistan or Guliston is a city of 100,000 inhabitants and it is the administrative center of the Syrdarya region in Uzbekistan. In Persia, Gulistan means the "land of flowers"

In the 19th century, the city developed on the village of Achchikkuduk ("a well with salt water"), in which there were 40 courtyards, there was a mosque and a tea room.

In 1869, by decree of the Governor General of Turkestan KP Kaufman, the possibility of irrigating the starving steppe was studied and in 1886 the construction of the great canal began.

Termez (or Termiz) is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia: it is over 2,500 years old. In 2014 Termez was awarded the Order of Amir Timur. It is located in the extreme south of Uzbekistan on the northern border of Afghanistan, an important passage between these 2 countries.