Mitan

Mitan

Mitan is an urban-type settlement in the Istikhan region of Samarkand. The village of Mitan is located on the slopes of the Nurata Mountains at an altitude of 250 meters, 8 km from the center of the Istikhan region, and 68 km from the city of Samarkand. The word "Mitan" derives from the name of the ancient tribe "Muiten". The Muitens are the oldest of the Karakalpak people. A large part of all the Karakalpak legends belong to the Muiten tribe, including the heroic epic "Kyrk kyz". Legend has it that the Muitens inhabited Arabia in antiquity, then the Aral Sea, as well as the Crimea, the Volga Urals and Turkestan. They moved to the Amu Darya Delta in the mid-18th century, but it is possible that most of them have always lived in the southern part of the Aral Sea. From 1926-58, Mitan was the center of the Mitan district of Samarkand city, and in 1958 it became part of the district of Istikhan. Cotton production is the main agricultural activity in the district, but the area is also involved in grain production, sericulture, livestock breeding, horticulture and vegetable cultivation.