What is the capital of Uzbekistan?

The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent. It is the country’s largest city and the most populous urban center in Central Asia, located in northeastern Uzbekistan near the border with Kazakhstan.

Tashkent has been a crossroads of trade and culture for centuries because of its position on routes associated with the Silk Road. Historical names for the city include Chach, Shash, and Binkat. The modern Uzbek name Toshkent is commonly interpreted as “Stone City,” from the Uzbek words for stone and city.

The city became the capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1930, replacing Samarkand. It remained the capital when Uzbekistan declared independence in 1991. A major earthquake in 1966 destroyed much of central Tashkent, after which the city was extensively rebuilt with broad avenues, public buildings, and modern housing.

Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva are common alternatives because all are celebrated historic cities of Uzbekistan. Samarkand was a major Timurid capital, Bukhara is renowned for its Islamic architecture, and Khiva is famous for its walled old city. None is the modern national capital.