Uzbekistan Names New City ‘Babur City’ to Honor Shared Cultural Legacy with Pakistan

In a landmark move celebrating centuries of shared history between Central and South Asia, Uzbekistan has named a newly developed city in the Andijan region “Babur City” in honor of Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur — the founder of the Mughal Empire and a revered figure in both Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the official announcement during a public address, calling Babur “a worthy successor of the Timurid Renaissance” and “a symbol of cultural brilliance and national pride.” He emphasized that naming the city after Babur reflects not only his contributions as a leader, poet, and scholar but also symbolizes his deep emotional bond with his birthplace.

Babur was born in Andijan, one of the most densely populated regions in Uzbekistan. To address population pressures and drive development, the Uzbek government initiated a major urban expansion project in 2021. Babur City is now taking shape on 4,000 hectares of previously unused land and will be built in eight progressive phases.

The project’s first phase has already seen the completion of key infrastructure 63 residential apartment buildings, A school for 1,680 students, A kindergarten, healthcare center, and light industrial facility and Road networks, utilities, and a new reservoir system for clean drinking water

Babur City is envisioned as a modern, culturally rich urban hub. Future development includes An educational complex with universities, schools, and kindergartens A museum, library, and IT park, A world-class sports facility Parks including the 19-hectare “Yangi O’zbekiston” Park, planted with 10,000 trees, and Vatanparvar Park, which will house a monument and museum on patriotism

At the city’s highest point, a monumental statue of Babur will be erected, symbolizing his spiritual return to his homeland.

President Mirziyoyev also addressed Uzbekistan’s youth, encouraging them to embrace knowledge, innovation, and hard work. “Talent reveals itself when effort is made. Seek knowledge and strive — your future will be bright,” he said.

A $250 million investment has been approved by the Uzbek government to support the city’s development. Once completed, Babur City will accommodate over 410,000 residents, becoming a beacon of education, innovation, and heritage.

The initiative has been warmly welcomed in Pakistan, where Babur’s legacy remains deeply embedded in history, architecture, and culture. Officials and historians have hailed the move as a powerful gesture of brotherhood and a new chapter in Uzbek-Pakistani relations.

President Mirziyoyev concluded, “Wherever Babur traveled, he carried the memory of his homeland. Today, his dream has returned to the soil of his birth.”