Babur Park

History

The park in the centre of Namangan was laid out in 1884 as the private garden of the district governor and was opened to townspeople only after 1917. From 1938 it bore the name of A. S. Pushkin, and since independence in 1991 it has been named after Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, who was born in the Fergana Valley. Twelve streets lead to the park, which covers about 14 hectares.

The grounds contain the Namangan Regional Museum of History and Culture and the site of the city's old ark, or citadel. During the anti-Soviet uprising the citadel sheltered Red Army soldiers; the ark was later levelled, and only insignificant fragments remain.

Today

Babur Park is known for its centuries-old plane trees, which cast deep shade in the summer heat and make it the townspeople's favourite promenade. During the Namangan Flower Festival, held since 1961, the centre of the park is filled with floral displays; the festival has been international since 2019 and took place for the 65th time in 2026. The Mullah Kyrgyz Madrasa and other historic sights are within walking distance. Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur (1483–1530), after whom the park is named, was the son of Fergana's ruler Umar Shaikh Mirza; born in Andijan, he went on to found the Mughal Empire in India.