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Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre is situated on the Theatre Square in the center of Tashkent, at the place of Voskresenskiy Bazaar, which had been operating there since the end of the 19th century. The construction of the theatre started in 1939, after the premiere of the first Uzbek opera ‘Blizzard’. With World War II, work was temporarily stopped in 1942 but it was resumed two years later, in 1944. In November 1945, Japanese prisoners of war were deported to Tashkent and took part in the finishing stages of construction work. When the construction of the theatre was completed and after the suggestion of the theatre architect A. V. Shusev, the fountain in front of the portal was built and the theatre was opened in November, 1947.

Theater is named after Alisher Navoi (1441 – 1501), famous Central Asian politician, mystic, linguist, painter, and poet of Chaghatai origin. In Uzbekistan, he is celebrated as their national poet, as the modern Uzbek language is descended from Chagatai.