Editing Qarshi

{{Short description|City in southern Uzbekistan}}
{{about|city|other|Qarshi (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Qarshi
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Logo of Karshi City.png
| photo2a = Monument in memory and honor in Qarshi.JPG
| photo2b = Qarshi Kok Gumbaz Mosque and cistern.JPG
| photo3a = Kok-Gumbaz mosque in Qarshi, front view.jpg
| photo3c = Kok-Gumbaz mosque in Qarshi, the inner part.jpg
| photo4a = Kok-gumbaz mosque Qarshi02.jpg
| photo4c = Kok-Gumbaz mosque in Qarshi, view from the north-east.jpg
| size = 280
| spacing = 2
| color = transparent
| border = 0
}}
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| image_map          = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Uzbekistan
| pushpin_mapsize    = 280
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Uzbekistan
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|52|N|65|48|E|type:city_region:UZ|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Uzbekistan|Region]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
| subdivision_name1  = [[Qashqadaryo Region]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| established_title  = Inception
| established_date   = 1926
| government_type    = 
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| area_total_km2     = 75.92
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| population_as_of   = 2021
| population_footnotes =<ref name=qashstat/>
| population_total   = 278300
| population_urban   = 
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| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone           = 
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| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 374
| elevation_ft       = 
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = (+998) 75
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| name               =
| other_name         = Karshi, Карши
}}

'''Qarshi''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ɑːr|ˈ|ʃ|iː}} {{respell|kar-SHEE}}; {{IPA|uz|qarˈʃɨ|lang}}) is a city in southern [[Uzbekistan]]. It is the capital of [[Qashqadaryo Region]]. Administratively, Qarshi is a district-level city, that includes the [[urban-type settlement]] [[Qashqadaryo (town)|Qashqadaryo]].<ref name=class>{{cite web|url=https://stat.uz/uploads/docs/soato(mhobt)_2020.xlsx|title=Classification system of territorial units of the Republic of Uzbekistan|language=uz, ru|date=July 2020|publisher=The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on statistics}}</ref> It has a population of 278,300 (2021 estimate).<ref name=qashstat>{{cite web|url=https://www.qashstat.uz/files/297/demog/1269/Hududlar-boyicha-shahar-va-qishloq-aholisi-soni.pdf|title=Urban and rural population by district|publisher=Qashqadaryo regional department of statistics|lang=uz}}</ref> It is about 520&nbsp;km south-southwest of [[Tashkent]], and about 335&nbsp;km north of Uzbekistan's border with [[Afghanistan]]. It is located at latitude 38° 51' 48N; longitude 65° 47' 52E at an altitude of 374 meters. The city is important in [[natural gas]] production, but Qarshi is also famous for its production of woven flat [[carpets]].

==History==
Originally the [[Sogdiana|Sogdian]] city of '''Nakhshab''' (which could be possibly named '''[[Eucratideia]]''' during the rule of [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]]<ref>The Encyclopaedia Metropolitana: Or Universal Dictionary of Knowledge, Volume 23, edited by Edward Smedley, Hugh James Rose, Henry John Rose, 1923, page 260.</ref>), and the [[Islamic]] Uzbek (Turkic) city of '''Nasaf''', and the [[Chagatai Khanate|Chagatay]] city of '''Qarshi''' (pronounced ''Kharsh''), Qarshi was the second city of the [[Emirate of Bukhara]]. It is in the center of a fertile [[oasis]] that produces [[wheat]], [[cotton]], and [[silk]] and was a stop on the 11-day [[Camel train|caravan]] route between [[Balkh]] and [[Bukhara]]. The Mongol [[Chagatai Khanate|Chagataid]] khans [[Kebek]] and [[Qazan Khan ibn Yasaur|Qazan]] built palaces here on the site of [[Chinggis Khaan]]'s summer pasture.<ref>{{harvtxt|Grousset|1970|pp=341–342}} states that both khans used Qarshi as a capital</ref> In 1364, [[Timur]] also built a fortified palace with moats in what is now the southern part of the city. The modern name "Qarshi" means fort.

Qarshi developed steadily from the 14th century. During the Sheyban dynasty the town grew violently (16th century). It was the second largest town of Bukhara Khanate in the 18th century. During these centuries much of the city's magnificent architectural monuments were built.[https://samarkandtours.com/uzbekistan/karshi/]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Karshi, Uzbekistan|url=https://samarkandtours.com/uzbekistan/karshi/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=January 29, 2021|website=}}</ref> With the decline of [[Shahrisabz]] in the 18th century, Qarshi grew in importance, and was the seat of the Crown Prince to the Emirate of Bukhara. The city had a double set of walls, 10 [[caravanserai]]s and 4 [[madrassahs]] during this time. By 1868, the [[Russians]] had annexed the [[Zarafshan]] Valley, and in 1873, the treaty turning Bukhara into a Russian [[protectorate]] was signed in Qarshi, much to the dismay of the Emir's son, Abdul Malik, who took to the hills in rebellion.

In the early 1970s, the first section of a major [[irrigation]] project was completed to divert water from the [[Amu Darya]] River in [[Turkmenistan]] eastward into Uzbekistan in order to irrigate the land surrounding Qarshi.  Almost all of these irrigated lands around Qarshi are planted with [[cotton]].

== Main sites ==

=== Odina Mosque ===

* [[Odina Mosque]] was built in the 16th century and is on the southeast side of Qarshi's Eski Bazaar. The mosque was built on the site of an older [[Mongol Empire|Mongol]] palace, which had also been used as a prison.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Ibbotson|first=Sophie|title=Uzbekistan|publisher=Bradt Guides Ltd|year=2020|isbn=9-781784-771089|location=United Kingdom|pages=191–192}}</ref> The mosque has an attractive domed exterior, and also a sardoba, a domed reservoir which stopped the water supply becoming contaminated or evaporating. It is no longer used for worship but instead houses Qarshi's Regional Museum.

=== Madrassas ===

* There are three [[Madrasa|madrassas]] in Qarshi, all on the same square. These are the [[Qilichboy Madrasa|Kalizbek]], [[Bekmurodboy Madrasa|Bakmir]], and [[Abdulazizkhoja Madrasa|Khodjaev Abdul Aziz Madrasas]], which were all built between 1904 and 1915.<ref name=":0" /> The madrassas no longer have a religious function and are in need of reservation, but tourists can enter inside if they ask the guardian.
* Rabiya Madrassah – a late 19th-century female madrassah

=== Kok Gumbaz Mosque ===

* [[Kuk Gumbaz Mosque (Qarshi)|Kok Gumbaz]] (which means "blue dome") is Qarshi's [[Jama masjid|Friday Mosque]]. It is the largest such mosque in the region, and was constructed by [[Ulugh Beg|Emperor Ulugbek]] on behalf of his father, [[Shah Rukh]], in the late 16th century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kok Gumbaz, Shakhrisabz|url=https://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/shakhrisabz/kok_gumbaz.htm|access-date=2020-11-01|website=www.advantour.com}}</ref> Kok Gumbaz is architecturally quite similar to other [[Timurid Empire|Timurid]] mosques, including in [[Shahrisabz|Shakhrisabz]], but it has been less heavily restored, so more of the original features remain intact.

=== Qarshi Bridge ===
* [[Qarshi Bridge]] is an ancient brick bridge built over the [[Qashqadaryo (river)|Qashqadaryo River]], constructed in the second half of the 16th century.

=== World War II Memorial ===

* Qarshi's war memorial to casualties of the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Great Patriotic War]] is one of the largest [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] era memorials in Central Asia. It is a mix of walkways, plaques, an [[eternal flame]], and a red star-topped tower with a series of stained-glass windows. It is possible to access the upper levels of the memorial on request.<ref name=":0" />

==Climate==
[[Köppen climate classification system]] classifies its climate as [[cold semi-arid climate|cold semi-arid]] (BSk).<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Qarshi – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2777/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|access-date=2 September 2013}}</ref>

{{Weather box
 | width       = auto
 | metric first = yes
 | single line = yes
 | location    = Qarshi (1991–2020)
 | Jan high C = 9.1
 | Feb high C = 11.9
 | Mar high C = 17.9
 | Apr high C = 24.6
 | May high C = 31.3
 | Jun high C = 36.7
 | Jul high C = 38.4
 | Aug high C = 36.6
 | Sep high C = 31.4
 | Oct high C = 24.5
 | Nov high C = 16.3
 | Dec high C = 10.5
 | year high C = 24.1

 | Jan mean C = 3.4
 | Feb mean C = 5.6
 | Mar mean C = 11.2
 | Apr mean C = 17.4
 | May mean C = 23.6
 | Jun mean C = 28.8
 | Jul mean C = 30.5
 | Aug mean C = 28.1
 | Sep mean C = 22.4
 | Oct mean C = 15.8
 | Nov mean C = 9.2
 | Dec mean C = 4.5
 | year mean C = 16.7

 | Jan low C = -0.6
 | Feb low C = 1.0
 | Mar low C = 5.9
 | Apr low C = 11.3
 | May low C = 16.4
 | Jun low C = 20.6
 | Jul low C = 22.4
 | Aug low C = 19.9
 | Sep low C = 14.4
 | Oct low C = 8.6
 | Nov low C = 3.8
 | Dec low C = 0.5
 | year low C = 10.4

 | precipitation colour = green
 | Jan precipitation mm = 35.7
 | Feb precipitation mm = 42.1
 | Mar precipitation mm = 46.5
 | Apr precipitation mm = 34.8
 | May precipitation mm = 18.8
 | Jun precipitation mm = 1.6
 | Jul precipitation mm = 0.6
 | Aug precipitation mm = 0.2
 | Sep precipitation mm = 1.1
 | Oct precipitation mm = 4.7
 | Nov precipitation mm = 24.4
 | Dec precipitation mm = 27.2
 | year precipitation mm = 237.7

 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
 | Jan precipitation days = 11
 | Feb precipitation days = 11
 | Mar precipitation days = 12
 | Apr precipitation days = 9
 | May precipitation days = 7
 | Jun precipitation days = 2
 | Jul precipitation days = 1
 | Aug precipitation days = 0
 | Sep precipitation days = 1
 | Oct precipitation days = 4
 | Nov precipitation days = 8
 | Dec precipitation days = 10
 | year precipitation days = 76

| Jan humidity = 79
| Feb humidity = 74
| Mar humidity = 72
| Apr humidity = 64
| May humidity = 48
| Jun humidity = 33
| Jul humidity = 30
| Aug humidity = 33
| Sep humidity = 38
| Oct humidity = 48
| Nov humidity = 62
| Dec humidity = 78
| year humidity = 66

 | source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="WMONormals">{{cite web
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Uzbekistan/CSV/Karshi_38812.csv
|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Qarshi
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = January 20, 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (humidity)<ref name = DWD>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_388120_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Karshi (Karschi) / Usbekistan
| work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = 16 December 2019}}</ref>
}}

==Industry==
A [[gas-to-liquids]] (GTL) plant, located 40&nbsp;km south of Qarshi, is under construction. This plant will be based on [[Sasol]]’s GTL technology and will have a capacity of 1.4&nbsp;million metric tons per year,  with following product slate: GTL diesel, kerosene, naphtha and liquid petroleum gas. The total cost of the project is around $4 billion and it is the first such a high-tech plant on the Eurasian continent. The joint project GTL Uzbekistan, where Sasol and Uzbekistan's state oil company [[Uzbekneftgas]] each hold 44.5% interest, and the rest 11% belonging to Malaysian [[Petronas]], was founded in 2009. The plant will be built on the basis of the Shurtan gas and chemical complex.<ref>{{cite news|title=Uzbekistan Launches $4 bn GTL Joint Project with Sasol|url=http://www.satrapia.com/news/article/uzbekistan-launches-4-bn-gtl-joint-project-with-sasol/|access-date=23 July 2012|newspaper=The Gazette of Central Asia|date=23 July 2012|publisher=Satrapia}}</ref>

==Culture==
===Sports===
Qarshi is home to [[FC Nasaf]] which was founded in 1986. Nasaf plays its home matches at the [[Markaziy Stadium (Qarshi)|Markaziy Stadium]], built in 2006.

==Education==
*One [[university]] and one institution of [[higher education|higher learning]]:
**[[Karshi State University]]<ref>[[:uz:Qarshi Davlat Universiteti|QDU]]</ref>
**[[Karshi engineering-economics institute]]<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.qmii.uz| title = QMII.uz}}</ref>
**[[Karshi branch of Tashkent University of Information Technologies]]

==Local infrastructure==
===Transportation===
[[File:Stamps of Uzbekistan, 2010-13.jpg|right|thumb|Qarshi railway station]]
*Qarshi is served by [[Qarshi Airport]] with flights to [[Tashkent]], [[Navoi]] and some major Russian cities.

===Landmarks===

* Khoja Abdul Aziz Madrassah – largest in town, now housing the Regional Museum
* Rabiya Madrassah – a late 19th-century female madrassah
* Kok Gumbaz Mosque – part of a 16th-century complex of buildings
* World War II Memorial – Perhaps one of the ex-Soviet Union's most monumental monuments

==Notable people==
* [[Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasafi]] (d. 943 CE), Isma'ili missionary and theologian
* [[Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi]] (d. 508 AH/1114 CE).
* [[Abu Hafs Umar an-Nasafi]] was a Muslim jurist, theologian, [[mufassir]], [[muhaddith]] and historian. A [[Persian people|Persian]] scholar born in [[Transoxiana]], he wrote mostly in [[Arabic]].
* [[Abu al-Barakat al-Nasafi]] (d. 710 AH/1310 CE).
* [[Poyon Ravshan]] (1941-2021) – uzbek historian<ref>{{cite news |title=Поён Равшанов (1941-2020) |url=https://ziyouz.uz/ozbek-ziyolilari/poyon-ravshanov/ |access-date=8 December 2024 |agency=ziyouz.uz |date=27 October 2020 }}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{ref begin}}
*{{cite book |author-link=René Grousset|last=Grousset |first=René |title=The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia |translator-first=Naomi |translator-last=Walford |location=New Brunswick |publisher=Rutgers University Press |date=1970 |isbn=978-0-8135-0627-2 |sbn=8135-1304-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/empireofsteppes00grou |url-access=registration}}
{{ref end}} 

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Qarshi}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081201233653/http://tour.solutions.uz/ru/section.scm?sectionId=12853 “Uzbektourism”: 2700th anniversary of Karshi]
<!-- * [http://tsymbal.su/video/tsymbal-i-antrakt-moi-gorod Video clip about the city of Karshi (Intermission and Symbol - My City)]
* [http://meteocenter.net/38812.htm Weather in Karshi] -->
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100103085024/http://orexca.com/rus/karshi.shtml Karshi city]
* [http://www.qashqadaryo.uz/ Official website of the Kashkadarya Region administration, information about organizations, regions of the region, statistical data,…]

{{Qashqadaryo Region}}
{{Cities in Uzbekistan}}
{{Mongol Empire}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places in Qashqadaryo Region]]
[[Category:Cities in Uzbekistan]]
[[Category:Sogdian cities]]