Tashkent plans to build a large, modern, interactive library in each of the city's 12 districts, with sites already selected for all of them, Tashkent Mayor Shavkat Umurzakov told the state news agency UzA.
"Our flagship project is the area popularly known as Blue Domes. It was historically the center of the city's book trade, and we're now turning it into a public space dedicated to reading culture. In July of this year, we announced plans to fully restore the complex's historic character, and the project will move forward with input from readers and public discussion," he said.
The plan stems from a presidential decree signed July 29, 2026, which calls for establishing a round-the-clock Book Street in the Blue Domes garden area on Sharof Rashidov Avenue in Yakkasaray district. The decree envisions regulating business activity in the area, carrying out beautification work, and hosting a range of public events in the open square.
"The decree treats books and reading as a core part of the urban fabric," Umurzakov said. "Think of it this way: someone leaves their home and finds a reading corner right in their own neighborhood. We're rolling these out, step by step, across all 585 mahallas in the capital. And when they head to their district center, they'll find a modern library waiting there too."
Umurzakov stressed that the goal isn't simply to construct buildings that store books, but to create public spaces capable of drawing millions of visitors a year and meeting people's intellectual and cultural needs.
He added that residents shouldn't be disconnected from books even inside shopping centers — new large retail complexes are now required to include a bookstore sized to match the venue, as a mandatory condition.
"In the world's most advanced countries, libraries are among a city's most beloved places," the mayor said. "If we want to move into a new stage of development, our libraries need to become some of the most attractive and welcoming spaces in the capital too."
Umurzakov also announced the launch of a citywide Best Reader contest, continuing an initiative first launched by the president.
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