City (pop., 2006 est.: 526,140), south-central Kazakhstan. It
lies at an elevation of 1,680 ft (512 m) in the foothills of the
Ugam Range, north of Tashkent. Originally a settlement on the
caravan route from Central Asia to China, it dates to at least
the 12th century AD. Destroyed by nomad attacks several times,
it became part of the khanate of Qo'qon in the early 19th
century and was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1864. It lies
on the Turkistan-Siberian Railroad, and its population grew
dramatically in the 20th century. It is now an industrial and
cultural centre.