In 1870, the military leadership of Tashkent decided to build an observatory. In 1872, a suitable site was found outside the city—in the Ak-Kurgan area. The land was purchased from its owners, and construction of telescope buildings soon began. In 1873, the refractor began operating—this year is considered the founding year of the observatory. 

At that time, the main task of the astronomical service was to provide the military with accurate maps showing the coordinates of populated areas. The clear Tashkent sky also enabled high-quality observations of celestial bodies for scientific purposes. 

In 1895, architect V. S. Heinzelman built a beautiful telescope building that has survived to this day. Plans to create a new park on the observatory site include reconstructing this historic structure. 

In the 1880s, the observatory, as a source of precise time, was connected by telephone wire to the Tashkent Fortress. Every day at exactly noon, a cannon shot rang out, by which Tashkent residents set their clocks. 

The mechanisms for determining and maintaining precise time, located deep underground, proved useful during the war years when all Soviet Union observatories were on German-occupied territory. Precise time signals were essential for coordinating the actions of the military, scientists, and industry. 

In 1966, the Tashkent Observatory was transformed into the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. 

The territory of the Astronomical Institute, through which the Ak-Kurgan canal flows, remains beautiful and picturesque. A flower park is currently being created here.