Andijan

Andijan, Andijan Region, Uzbekistan

---

Andijan, the bustling capital of Andijan Region in eastern Uzbekistan's densely populated Fergana Valley, traces its origins to over 2,500 years ago as a key Silk Road crossroads, with archaeological finds from the 7th-8th centuries BCE confirming early settlements that evolved into a thriving trade hub under empires like the Kushans, Samanids, and Timurids.

Birthplace of Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur—the 15th-century ruler and memoirist who founded India's Mughal Empire— the city endured Mongol destruction, a devastating 1902 earthquake killing thousands, and Soviet industrialization focused on cotton, oil, silk, and machinery, growing its population to around 450,000 amid fertile farmlands and markets vibrant with fruits, nuts, and crafts. 

Today, it blends Soviet-era blocks with mosques like the 19th-century Jami and Babur's preserved house, serving as an agricultural powerhouse while hosting cultural sites tied to its resilient heritage despite regional tensions.​