a city and center of Namangan Oblast, Uzbek SSR. Situated in the northern part of the Fergana Valley; the Northern Fergana Canal passes through the city. Railroad station on the Kokand-Uchkurgan-Andizhan line. Population, 201,000 (1974; 62,000 in 1897, 80,000 in 1939, and 123,000 in 1959).
During the Soviet period, Namangan has developed into a major center of light industry, with two cotton-ginning plants and enterprises producing silk fabrics and fabrics for suits, as well as clothing, nonwoven goods, art objects, and footwear. It is also an important center for food processing, with an oil-extraction plant, cannery, dairy, winery, meat-packing plant, and flour mills. There are also chemical, transformer, and machine-building plants, as well as an automotive repair shop and a house-building combine. Building materials are produced in Namangan. The city is the site of a pedagogical institute and of six specialized secondary educational institutions. There is a museum of local lore and a drama and comedy theater.
Namangan was first mentioned in historical sources as a settlement at the end of the 15th century and as a city in 1610. The architectural monuments include the mausoleum of Hodjamna-Kabra (18th century), the madrasa of Mulla-Kirghiz (19th century), and the house of Sultan Ahmedov (19th century).