Zhemchug

The city of Tashkent, with its almost three million inhabitants, is the capital and economic centre of Uzbekistan. Heir to the historical significance of being a key stop on the ancient Silk Road, a vital link in trade between Europe and China for centuries, it reached its zenith of splendour during Soviet rule in the mid-20th century. Its position compared to other ancient Persian cities such as Samarkand or Bukhara was always secondary, which is why it never enjoyed the cultural and material wealth that made those cities legendary. In 1966, a major earthquake reduced most of Tashkent's urban fabric to rubble, forever veiling its most important architectural heritage in the echoes of the past. This natural disaster was, however, the main driving force behind its rebirth as one of the main industrial, economic and population centres in the former Soviet Republics. In fact, its relevance in demographic terms was remarkable, becoming the fourth most populated city, only surpassed by Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev. La ciudad de Tashkent es, con sus casi tres millones de habitantes, la capital y centro económico de Uzbekistán. Heredera de la relevancia histórica que le otorgó el hecho de ser una de las paradas fundamentales en la antigua Ruta de la Seda, conexión fundamental para el comercio entre Europa y China durante siglos, alcanzó su cenit de esplendor durante el dominio soviético a mediados del siglo XX. Su posición frente a otras antiguas ciudades persas como Samarcanda o Bukhara siempre fue secundaria, razón por la cual nunca disfrutó de la riqueza cultural y material que hizo legendarias a aquellas. En 1966, un terremoto de gran magnitud redujo a escombros la mayor parte del tejido urbano de Tashkent, velando para siempre en los ecos del pasado su herencia arquitectónica más relevante.