by Adkhamjon Janobiddinov
Did you know there are students from Uzbekistan at The College of Wooster? It’s okay if you have never heard about this country before–Uzbekistan is an ancient country with a newer name. Through this article, you will learn how Uzbekistan played an important role in the development of our modern world and what Uzbekistan offers to the world today.
Uzbekistan is a Turkish nation located in Central Asia bordering Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Many Turkic nations have a lot of linguistic similarities as evidenced in some of the countries’ names. If we break down the country’s name, “stan” means land, therefore Uzbekistan translates to “the land of Uzbeks.” Similarly, Turkmenistan translates to “the land of Turkmens.” These cross cultural interactions are found throughout Uzbekistan with the population being largely composed of Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Uyghur people.
Uzbekistan houses 36 million people and many ancient cities. Three of the most prominent being Samarkand (2800 years old), Karshi (2700 years old) and Bukhara (around 2000 years old). The nation’s rich history doesn’t stop with its architectural feats. Uzbekistan has a rich history of contributing to the world’s progress. We can recall famous historical figures Uzbekistan gave birth to. Muhammad Al Khorazmi, a famous mathematician, was born in ancient Khorezm. Khorazmi invented algebra, a fundamental math concept that is taught all over the world today, with the name “algebra” originating from the name of his book “al-jabr” (al jabr w’al muqabala). He also invented algorithms which would later lead to the invention of the computer and other modern technologies.
Another famous historical figure from the land of Uzbekistan is Ibn Sina, with his importance being recognized within the College as evidenced by his statue in our very own Timken Library! Ibn Sina is better known as Avicenna, and he is considered one of the founders of early medicine.
Al-Biruni is another important scientist born in Beruni, Uzbekistan. Biruni used trigonometry to calculate the radius of the Earth using measurements of the height of a hill and measurement of the dip in the horizon from the top of that hill. His calculated radius for the Earth is 3928.77 miles. This was two percent higher than the actual mean radius of 3847.80 miles but was an achievement that bested many other contributions to science at the time. The list goes on as there are many other Uzbeks that contributed to the development of the world as we see it today.
So what does Uzbekistan offer to the world today? Its tourism industry allows visitors to easily experience the culture and engage with over 6000 historical monuments. Its scenic views also offer a unique view of nature from the gorgeous mountains of the Hissar range to the endless Kyzylkum deserts. Tourists can also visit the Aral sea, which was once the fourth largest lake of the world and is home to various endemic species such as the Zebra Mussel and the Lagoon Cockle. For centuries it was a center for trade welcoming merchants from all corners of the world, a culture that is still present today.
Most importantly, Uzbeks have a very colorful culture that is welcoming to all people!
