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.