The history of Andijan goes back almost 2,000 years, with its location in the heart of the Fergana Valley on the border with Kzyrgyzstan making the city a strategic intersection of trade routes, with deep historic routes to the Silk Road. Andijan is also an important city in religious terms, but Andijan was unfortunately razed by a major earthquake in the early 20th century, and very little remains of the city's past glory.
However, the greatest tragedy that is still a topic of conversation took place in May, 2005, when government forces opened fire on a demonstration against corruption that was taking place. The result was indisputably a bloodbath, with estimates of up to 1,000 deaths. I therefore found that, during my brief stay in Andijan, the atmosphere was still highly tense, and this could make an extended stay quite uncomfortable.