Tashkent has a rich history and has always been of strategic interest to other countries due to its convenient geographical location. To protect the city from external enemies, Tashkent was surrounded by three rows of walls.
At the end of the 18th century, the defensive wall of the city was nearly 8 meters high and up to 2 meters wide at the top. The perimeter of the wall measured 18.2 km, enclosing an area of 26.4 sq. km.
In the mid-19th century, the walls of Tashkent were rebuilt, as continuous wars had left them in disrepair. At this time, the height of the wall was increased to over 10 meters, and many concealed positions, or "shinak," were added at the top for shooting at the enemy.
The city's defensive wall had 12 gates: Takhtapul, Labzak, Kashgar, Kokand, Koimas, Besh-Yogoch, Kamalon, Samarkand, Kukcha, Chigatai, Sagbon, and Karasaray. There were also two gates designated for cavalry entrance.
These gates were built on highways and were sturdy, made from mountain pine, with the tops decorated with carved ornaments. Each gate had a pair of rings and keys. The keys, made of pure gold, were kept by the gatekeepers.
The gatekeepers opened the gates in the morning and closed them at sunset. Once closed, the gates could not be opened without an urgent order from the mayor.
After the capture of Tashkent by Tsarist troops on June 16, 1865, General Chernyaev handed over the symbolic golden keys of the twelve gates to the Military Museum in St. Petersburg. On June 14, 1933, these keys were brought back to Uzbekistan, received by Mukhiddin Tursunkhodjaev, the permanent representative of Uzbekistan in Moscow, and handed over to Nizomiddin Khodjaev, chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Monuments.
Currently, eleven of these keys are kept in the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, and one is exhibited in the State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan. Each key bears the date of manufacture (1282 AH) and the name of the gate.
