Gurlan (, Гурлан, گۇرلەن; ) is a town and seat of Gurlan District in Xorazm Region in Uzbekistan. It is located near the border with Turkmenistan in western Uzbekistan, north-west of Urgench, north of Shovot, and south of the Amu Darya river. Gurlen is a major centre for cotton production, and rice and yams are also significant other crops. History Gurlen was one of the medieval cities of Khorezm. A fortress was built about north of Gurlen called Taza Vazir ("New Vazir"). The Hanafi jurist of Khwarezm, Jalal ad-Din Kurlani, is from Gurlen. In the early 19th century, it was a well-known merchant city of the Khanate of Khiva. Gurlen featured a New Method school from 1905 to 1911 which encountered extreme conservative opposition. In the 1820s, it was a well-known merchant city of Khiva Khanate. After the 1917 Russian Revolution the Khanate of Khiva was abolished, and Gurlen was eventually included into the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Bukhara, characterized as the nucleus of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, contained the part of Khorezm located within a triangle formed by Gurlen-Khiva-Pitniyak. Gurlen was a part of Khorezm Oblast, which was abolished on September 29, 1926, and the center of Gurlen District. After 1926, Gurlen and the district were directly subordinated to the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. On October 1, 1938 Khorezm Oblast was re-established. It included Gurlen, which at the time had a status of rural locality, and Gurlen District. It was classified as a rural locality until October 1981, when under Soviet rule it was granted urban-type settlement status. In 1984, Gurlen was granted town status and became the town of oblast significance, meaning it was not a part of the district any more. A children's hospital was built here during the Soviet period. Geography and climate Gurlen is located in southern Uzbekistan, near the border with Turkmenistan. It is north-west of Urgench, north of Shavat, and south of the Amu Darya river. Nearby settlements include Ishandami to the southeast, Mangityap to the northwest, and Pakhtachi nearby to the west. The Yangiabadskoe deposit, noted for rock in native slate which is used for brick manufacture, is situated to the west of Gurlen. The climatic condition of the semi desertic region of Gurten is of extreme continental climate. As the annual incidence of rainfall is more than the rate of evaporation, irrigation is an essential requirement for cultivation in this