Fergana Valley

The Fergana Valley is an oasis in the east of Uzbekistan, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges: Chatkal in the north, Kuramin in the north-west, Fergana in the east, Alay and Turkestan in the south. It is one of the oldest cultural centers in Sared Asia. There are all the necessary natural and geographical conditions for human life and the development of agriculture: fertile soils, a favorable climate and an abundance of water resources. In ancient times, Fergana was the same independent state formation as Bactria, Sogd or Khorezm.

The main trade transit from China to Europe, the Great Silk Road, passed through the Fergana Valley. The Fergana Valley was famous for its "heavenly horses", as the Chinese called them. Scientists have proven that these horses were the progenitors of the famous Akhal-Teke horses and Arabian horses.

The cities of the Fergana Valley were destroyed after the Mongol invasion and were restored only in the 16th century. In the eighteenth century. in the Fergana Valley, an independent state was created - the Kokand Khanate with the capital in Kokand. The khanate was constantly strengthening, but by the end of the 19th century. the territory was conquered by tsarist Russia.

Today the Fergana Valley is the most densely populated and most fertile territory of Uzbekistan. The best cotton, watermelons and melons grow here, and Namangan city apples are known far beyond the borders of Uzbekistan. The Fergana Valley has preserved the traditions of old artisans: ceramists, blacksmiths, jewelers. Fergana is the largest producer of natural silk fabrics.