Uzkand

Uzkand, or Uzgen, stands on a terrace above the Kara Darya at the eastern edge of the Fergana Valley. It was a fortified trading town on the route toward the lands of the Seven Rivers and became a centre of the Qarakhanid rulers. A brick minaret and three adjoining mausoleums preserve the craftsmanship of their age. Their decorated portals, carved terracotta inscriptions and geometric patterns mark the tombs of the dynasty, whose capital and court gave the city particular prominence in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.