Navoiy (), also spelled Navoi, is a city and the capital of Navoiy Region in the southwestern part of Uzbekistan. Administratively, it is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Tinchlik. It is located at latitude 40° 5' 4N; longitude 65° 22' 45E, at an altitude of 382 meters. The city is named after Ali-Shir Nava'i. As of 2020, its population was 144,158 inhabitants. History Originally known as Kermine (or Karmana) under the Emirate of Bukhara, the city was re-founded in 1958, under the name of the great Uzbek poet and statesman Alisher Navoi, who wrote in Persian and Chaghatai at the court of Emir Husein Boykara (or Husayn Bayqaro) in Herat. Even though the town is very young, it has rich history in this area and its surroundings. The Great Silk Road went through these countries in ancient times. The archeological researches in the area have also produced findings of numerous traces of Ancient Saki, Khorezm and Baktriya cultures. Government Population Main sites The Rabati Malik is a heavily fortified 11th century caravanserai built by the Karakhanid ruler Abu’l Hasan Shams al Mulk Nasr to protect Silk Road merchants, their animals, and trade goods at night. The building is on UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage Site status, along with Sardoba Malik, the domed reservoir which supplied the caravanserai with water. Rabati Malik is largely in ruins due to an earthquake in 1968, but the 12m high portal still stands and has been partially restored, as has the reservoir dome. The portal is decorated with carved terracotta, including eight-pointed stars and Arabic calligraphy. The Deggaroniy Mausoleum is the burial place of the theologian Mavlono Orif Deggaroniy (1313–76), teacher of Khoja Bahauddin Naqshbandi. It is a simple mud brick building with low domes, and is a place of pilgrimage for Naqshbandi Sufis. The Mir Said Bakhrom Mausoleum is a simple brick built mausoleum dating from the 11th century. The building is an important architectural prototype, with certain similarities to the Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara.The portal is decorated with a Kufic inscription made from raised bricks, and the saint’s grave is covered with marble. The building is on UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage Site status. The Kasim Sheikh complex was built in the 16th century by Abdulla Khan, Emir of Bukhara, as a khanagha, a hostel for wandering Sufi holy men. The mosque at the khanagha is now used