The city of Namangan ranks third largest in Uzbekistan, after Tashkent and Samarkand, yet it appears a relative newcomer to this eastern cradle of Ferghana civilization. It takes its name from local salt mines, namakkan , longtime suppliers to the kitchens of Tashkent. At the time of the Russian occupation, the Namangan district had developed into a bastion of Islam, with over 20 madrassah and 600 mosques.The Tsarist and Soviet eras Russified the center and industrialized he suburbs, spawning a rise in population to 330,000, but never tamed the people.