city, northwestern Tajikistan. The city lies along both banks of the Syr Darya (river) at the entrance to the fertile and heavily populated Fergana Valley. One of the most ancient cities of Central Asia, it lay along the great Silk Road from China to Europe. It was captured by the Arabs in the 8th century, by Genghis Khan's forces in the 13th century, and by the Russians in 1866. It is now the second city of Tajikistan and has a large silk combine as well as cotton-processing, food-canning, and other industries. There is a teacher-training institute, a theatre, and a historical museum. Pop. (1991 est.) 164,500.