Zarafshon (, ) is a city in the center of

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

's Navoiy Region. Administratively, it is a district-level city, that includes the

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...

Muruntau. It has an area of and 85,100 inhabitants (2021). Located in the

Kyzylkum Desert The Kyzylkum Desert (, قِیزِیل‌قُوم; , قىزىلقۇم) is the 15th largest desert in the world. Its name means ''Red Sand'' in Turkic languages. It is located in Central Asia, in the land between the confluent rivers Amu Darya and ...

, it receives water from the

Amudarya The Amu Darya ( ),() also shortened to Amu and historically known as the Oxus ( ), is a major river in Central Asia, which flows through Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Rising in the Pamir Mountains, north of the Hindu Ku ...

by a 220-km pipeline. Zarafshon is calle
"the gold capital of Uzbekistan"
It is home of the Navoi Mining & Metallurgy Combinat's Central Mining Administration, charged with mining and processing gold from the nearby Muruntau open-pit mine. Between 1995 and 2006, the Muruntau gold mining and processing operation was run by th
Zarafshan-Newmont Joint Venture
a foreign direct investment by

Newmont Mining Corporation Newmont Corporation is an American gold mining company based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It is the world's largest gold mining corporation. Incorporated in 1921, it holds ownership of gold mines in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Do ...

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, Colorado (at the time the largest U.S. investor in Uzbekistan - it was also the first major Western investment in the region since the breakup of the Soviet Union). Uzbekistan expropriated the company's assets in 2006 and by 2007 had taken full ownership of the mine. Zarafshan Airport is served by Uzbekistan Airlines with direct daily flights to and from

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

. Zarafshon is the sister city of

Clinton, Mississippi Clinton is a List of cities in Mississippi, city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area, Jackson metropolitan area, it is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 10th most populous c ...

(USA).

History

Construction of the city began in the early 1960s and continued until the collapse of the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, 1965 is considered the official year of the city's foundation. On January 16, 1967, Zarafshon received the status of an

. At the time of the collapse of the USSR, the city had 12 microdistricts with typical Soviet (3-, 4-, 5-, 7- and 9-story) buildings. There were 8 comprehensive

schools A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...

and 21

kindergartens Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

in the city. Initially, the city was created as the residence of workers servicing industrial facilities for

gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold by mining. Historically, mining gold from Alluvium, alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. The expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface has led to mor ...

located at Muruntau Mine and «Bessopan» industrial site and being a part of Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Combinat. Gold production from the Muruntau Mine deposit accounted for approximately 30% of total gold production in the USSR. During the Soviet period, the gold mine was being developed non-stop. Workers were recruited from all over the Soviet Union, and only a few left to return. Zarafshon became the third industrial city in Navoiy region, after Uchquduq and

Navoiy Navoiy ( ; ) is a city and the capital of Navoiy Region in the central part of Uzbekistan. Administratively, it is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Tinchlik, Navoiy, Tinchlik. The city is named after Alisher Navoiy. ...

, built due to the establishment of city-forming enterprises (Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat and Navoiyazot) in the region in the late 50s and early 60s. The largest division of Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat is located in the city of Zarafshon, it is the Central Mining Department, which currently includes 29 main and auxiliary divisions. The main task of the Central Mining Department is the development of precious metal deposits (

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

) and their mining.

Geography

The city is situated in the central part of the

, located 30 kilometers away from the largest gold deposit in the republic, " Muruntau". In 2020 it was the largest gold mine in the world

Industry

* The Central Ore Directorate of the State Enterprise "NGMK" (gold and silver mining, non-metallic construction materials). * "Kyzylkum Phosphorite Complex" LLC, a subsidiary of "Uzkhimprom" (phosphorite concentrate mining). * Zarafshan Construction Management of the State Enterprise "NGMK" (construction). * The "Agama" Production and Technological Facility of the State Enterprise "NGMK" (clothing production).

Infrastructure

The city boasts a unique water supply system sourced from the Amu Darya River (with approximately 250 kilometers of pipes under constant control). It includes 12 residential micro-districts with improved architectural planning from the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

era, two micro-districts under construction, cultural facilities (cultural centers, creative hubs), sports amenities (stadium, swimming pool, gyms, and sports complexes), commercial areas (shops, markets, shopping centers), healthcare institutions, and various other public facilities. Additionally, the city features artificial vegetation and beautiful parks.

Sport

Zarafshon has been the venue for numerous sports competitions, including the Asian Powerlifting Championship in 2004, an international sailing tournament among CIS countries, and many other events. In 2004 alone, Zarafshon hosted 150 sports events of various levels. Athletes from Zarafshon have excelled in various sports. Swimmers have competed in the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

, while motocross riders have maintained leadership in national competitions. The powerlifting team has participated in many world championships, achieving significant results and winning top honors. The sailing team has been involved in numerous international competitions and consistently ranks among the leaders. The football club " FC Qizilqum" has been competing in the

Uzbekistan Super League Uzbekistan Super League (; ), known as Artel Electronics, Artel Uzbekistan Super League due to sponsorship reasons (; ), is the top division of professional association football, football in Uzbekistan. It is operated under the auspices of the U ...

since 2000, with its highest achievement being a 3rd place finish in the 2002 season. The parachuting section was highly popular, but it has ceased to exist. The "Zar-Dan" parachute team has earned many awards, and prizes. In competitions for the CIS Cup, Zarafshon athletes secured a place among the top three.

Gallery

File:Зарафшан 25-10-20 by (Poirot 92).jpg, Зарафшанская телебашня File:Зарафшан 13 мая 2020 (Узбекистан, Навои).jpg, Zarafshon Зарафшан 29 апреля 2020 (Узбекистан, Навои).jpg, Zarafshan in Ozero Goro Church in Zarafshon 02-01.JPG, Church in Zarafshon Church in Zarafshon 01-04.JPG, Church in Zarafshon

References

{{Navoiy Region Populated places in Navoiy Region Cities in Uzbekistan