Nurota District

About the district

Nurota District borders Tomdi across Aydarkul to the north, Konimex to the west, Jizzakh Region's Forish District to the east, and Navbahor and Xatirchi districts and Samarkand Region to the south. Desert and steppe cover the north and west, while mountains, pastures and irrigated land fill the south and east. Its centre is Nurota, a town since 1976, which sits at the foot of the Oqtogʻ hills about 524 m above sea level.

Ancient Nur was already a famous shrine in the 10th century, and today visitors come for the Chashma complex, the ancient Nur fortress and the old karez channels. Nearly 40% of Aydarkul lies within the district, and the mountain village of Sentob has become an ecotourism hub. Marble is quarried here, and Nurota's craftsmen are known for carpentry, pottery, embroidery and jewellery. On 1 January 2026 the district had 91,900 residents.