Kashgar

The independent city of Kashgar ( Kashi also; Original Designer KAS, with the additional eastern Iranian - γar, " mountain ."; Chinese School (疏勒), tibet SU- lig. ), Capital of the district of Kashgar, located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region the People's Republic of China, is an oasis town and is an important hub of the silk Road.

Located at the edge of the Tarim Basin in 1235-1300 m altitude and has an area of 96 km ². According to the 2000 census, the city had 340 640 inhabitants Kashgar (Population Density: 3548.33 inhabitants / km ²). The population is predominantly Uighur and thus influenced by Islam.

History

The town was first mentioned around the time of Christ in Chinese sources and was, according to the work of Shu Han of the 48 principalities of the West. It was with short breaks under Chinese suzerainty. The Chinese suzerainty weakened during the second century and the local rulers seeking their legitimacy with the Yuezhi and the Kushans. In the third century Kashgar was one of the six centers of power in the West and is counted in the Sassanid inscription of King Schapurs I, Kashgar after the conquest Kuschanas to its outermost possession. In the 6th century Kashgar was one of the Hephthalites before it came under the rule of the first khanate of the Kok - Turks.

The expanding Tang Dynasty defeated the Kok - Turks middle of the 7th century. The local rulers were now back under Chinese rule. The Chinese pilgrim monk Xuanzang visited the city in 640 and reported on agriculture, factories and hundreds of Buddhist monastery in the area. 676-678 raided the Tibetans the city, but the Chinese were able to gain control again. The first Islamic invasion occurred in 715 and a few years later the Uyghur conquered the region. These were replaced by the Qarakhanid whose ruler Satuq Bugra Qara Qagan transgressed the mid-10th century to Islam, so that was also Muslim with time Kashgar. Kashgar as part of the Eastern Empire karachanidischen became a center of Islamic teachings. The scholar Mahmud al - Kāschgharī describes the town and a field of ruins MAN Känd near the city. In addition, as Kāschgharī the city was also known as the seat of administration and the military Ordu - Känd.

1211 drove the usurper Kütschlüg the Kara Kitai the Qarakhanid from Kashgar and banished Islam. 1220 subjugated the Mongols in the region. After the division of the Mongol Empire Kashgar came to Genghis Khan 's son Chagatai Khan. His family ruled as Chagatai Khanate until the 17th century in the region. Marco Polo visited Kashgar (he called the city Cascar ) 1273 and noted the large number of followers of Nestorianism. Other dynasties included the Timurid between the 14th and 15th centuries. During the Islamic Yarkant Khanate, there was a conflict between Kashgar and Yarkant, was destroyed in consequence Kaxgars downtown 1514. The destroyer Kaxgars Mirza Abu Bakr built a new city, which is known as the Old Town Kaxgars today. After 1514 Yarkant was new center of the region.

1759 conquered the Chinese Qing Kashgar and made ​​it a part of the Xinjiang province. The Qingherrschaft was several revolts ( 1825-28, 1830, 1847, and 1857) interrupted, whose most famous revolt of Bek's Jakub 1865-1877 was. Mid-19th century Kashgar was an important place in the so-called Great Game of the colonial powers Russia and Britain. The Russians had conquered the neighboring area and the Khanate of the region. Kashgar itself remained even after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China part of China.

The Chinese government is currently carrying out an extensive modernization of the city, in the course of which, however, the historic center is almost completely destroyed. In July 2009, the Company raised for Threatened Peoples violent accusations because of the destruction of the unique cultural heritage: " The more than 2000 year old historic center of the city of Kashgar in northwest China threatens the destruction. Over the next five years, about 200,000 people are to be resettled in the so-called earthquake-proof apartment blocks. The project, which began on 27 February 2009, provides for the destruction of 85 percent of the centuries- old buildings. Kashgar is considered the most culturally and historically important Islamic city in Central Asia. Only 15 percent of the old houses are to be obtained as part of an open-air museum in order to lead the annual 1.5 million tourists from home and abroad, the ancient Islamic culture before our eyes. " Many of the Uighur residents of the old town to see the lack of seismic safety but only one reason advanced for the renewal and accuse the Chinese government that the renewal of the old town will be used primarily security goals. The Chinese government, however, promises that a large number of historic buildings to be modeled realistically.

Ethnic structure of the population ( 2000)

Air table

Transport and infrastructure

Kashgar is a transportation hub and is the starting point of the Karakoram Highway, which connects the city with Islamabad ( Pakistan). Furthermore, also the highways start here to Kyrgyzstan over the Torugart pass to Bishkek, and on the Irkeshtam Pass to Osh. Kashgar has an airport and is connected via the station Kashgar to the rail network. In addition, the city is the center of an extensive irrigation system.

Tourism

The city is famous for the weekly Sunday market and its large covered bazaar. On the Sunday market are animals (sheep, goats, donkeys, cattle, yaks, horses, occasionally even Bactrian camels ) and agricultural needs, offered at the bazaar every conceivable household items, food, Uighur - Chinese Medicine and haircuts.