TASHKENT, UZBEK REPUBLIC

Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in the Central Asia is a commercial and cultural centre of the state. First mentioned in the 1st century B. C., it is the largest and one of the oldest cities of Central Asia. Tashkent developed as a commercial centre on the historic trade route from Samarkand to Peking, and was captured by Gingis Khan in the 13th century and by Tamerlane in the 14th century. Captured by Russian forces in 1865 Tashkent became the administrative seat of Russia Turkistan in 1876. From 1918 to 1924, Tashkent was the capital of the Turkistan Autonomous SSR, and in 1930 it replaced Samarkand as capital of the Uzbek SSR. In 1966, Tashkent was the site of a meeting between Soviet Premier Kosygin, Indian Prime Minister Shastri, and Pakistani President Ayub Khan that represented a Soviet effort to mediate the Kashmir dispute. Among the city's educational and cultural facilities are the central Asian State University and the Uzbek Academy of Sciences.