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State of the Environment in Tashkent 2001
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Old city

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    The Old city is the North-Western part of Tashkent. The name appeared as opposition of the New City. The territory of Old City was limited on the North by Kalkauz canal on the East - by Kukcha canal, on the South - by Zakh canal. The beginning of formation can be traced to the 9-th century.
     Up to the 10-th century in the plan of the Old City distinguishes: citadel (ark), internal city (shakhristan), and 2 suburbs (rabad) - external and internal. The city was rounded by massive wall, with fortress gates in it, from where all roads led to the cente of the city, determining by this matter the Radical plan of the city.
    The building of big establishments can be traced to the 2-nd half of the 15-th - 1-st half of the 16-th centuries.
    The Khadgi Akhrar medrese, the complexes Khazret Imam, Sheykhantaur                              were build. The most
    important was the building of Kukeldash medrese. The building of the Old City were devided on blocks - makhallya. To the end  of the 19-th
    century, when Tashkent  
    became the biggest city in                            Plan of old Tashkent (medium 19 age)
    Central Asia, the territory of
    the Old City increased up to 1,5 thousands hectares. On the plan it consisted from the City itself, rounded by fortress walls, and from "URDA". Narrow and dusty streets led from the gates to the center - big market. Administratively the Old City was devided into 4 dakhs - Beshagach, Kukcha, Sibzar, Sheykhantaur each of them was governed by khakim. The governer of the whole city was beklarbegi.
    After the annexation of Tashkent to Russia, and after the formation of Turkestan general-governorship (1867), the government of the Old City was headed by Russian Administration, but consisted from official persons, elected from a noble population of the Old City. At the end of the 19-th century the territory of the Old City increased, although it was slow process. The walls of the City slowly became a part of internal city territory and soon were taken down. In the building of houses baked bricks are used by builders, appear new trade building of European architecture. Around the Old City Market new offices and banks of trade companies are built. On Beshagach was built the slaughter-house. New cultural establishment were created. In 1883 in Khadra makhalla was opened the first in Tashkent ambulance for women and children. In 1883 the Municipal Duma gave names to 17 Streets of the Old City - Sheykhantaurskaya, Takhtapulskaya, Chagatayskaya, and others. The new 100 kerosene street lamps. In 1884 in Sheykhantaur was opened the first russian-native school, which opened the way for education not only in Tashkent, but in the region in whole.  Up to 1910 in the Old City were 21 thousands of houses and its population was 146 thousands people.
     

    Source of the plan of the old Tashkent: Tashkent, 1984, Encyclopaedia

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    This page was last updated: 14/08/02