Independent Uzbekistan

My native town.
Kokand located in eastern Uzbekistan, in Fergana province at the southwestern edge of the Fergana Valley. A traveler on his way to Ferghana first arrives in Kokand, which is an industrial, cultural, and transportation hub, and a land of popular poets, writers, scholars, art and culture.Kokand is 228 km southeast of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, 115 km west of Andijan, and 88 km west of the city of Fergana. Kokand is located on the crossroads of the ancient trade routes, at the junction of two main routes into the Fergana Valley, one leading northwest over the mountains to Tashkent, and the other west through Khujand. As a result, Kokand is the main transportation junction in the Fergana Valley. Kokand is a center for the production of textiles, food, and chemicals.Kokand has existed since at least the 10th century, when it was known as Khavakend and was located on a caravan route between India and China. Kokand was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. The present city began as a fort in 1732 on the site of another older fortress called Eski-Kurgan. In 1740 it became the capital of the Kokand Khanate (a state ruled by khans) which reached as far as Qyzylorda to the west and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to the northeast, included nearly the whole territory of present Uzbekistan.
The Great Silk Road had played a major role in the development of the city. Kokand was the major religious center of the Fergana Valley under the khans. At one time it had more than 300 mosques. There were 29 khans in the history of the Khanate. The most outstanding ruler was its last khan - Khudoyar. From 1845 to 1876 Khudoyar-Khan was the ruler of the state just before the annexation of the Kokand Khanate to Russia.
Many mosques and madrasahs were built during Khudoyar-Khan's reign. The Palace of Khudoyar Khan sits in the center of the city. The palace was built in 1860-1872 in magnificent style with seven courtyards and 113 rooms. Only two courtyards and 19 rooms have survived. The Palace occupied four hectares. Tsarist troops blew up its fortifications. At present the palace houses the museum of history. More than 200,000 people live in Kokand. Over the last decade, new districts and public buildings have appeared in the city, with intense growth of individual houses, shops, cafes, restaurants and other private sector ventures.There are 2 institutes, 9 colleges and Lyceums, 40 secondary and 5 musical schools, a drama theatre, 7 clubs, and 20 libraries. The main cultural life of the city cannot be described without mentioning its museums. There are 7 historical and house museums located in Kokand.