Several opposition news outlets based overseas claimed that Karimov died some time prior to the announcement of his demise, with the government holding back the news in a manner reminiscent of the silence surrounding the deaths of Communist Party bosses during the Soviet era.
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The historic centre of Samarkand – which houses the mausoleum of brutal 14th century warlord Tamerlane – was in lockdown with police cordoning off most of the area and stopping ordinary citizens and cars from entering.
Mr. Mirziyoyev is widely regarded as Mr. Karimov’s potential successor.
Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev delivers a speech during a memorial service before the funeral of Uzbek president Islam Karimov. He won a presidential election after independence in 1991 and used Soviet methods to govern the country.
Despite his brutal quarter-century rule, which earned him a reputation overseas as one of the region’s most savage despots who ruthlessly stamped out opposition, people in Karimov’s hometown mourned his passing and some youths wore black clothes.
In a statement offering his condolences, U.S. President Barack Obama said his country stood with Uzbekistan as it “begins a new chapter in its history”.
“His pass away is a great loss of the Uzbek people”.
Many mourners held flowers, mostly red roses, which they laid on the road as the funeral train, which set out at 6 a.m. (0100 GMT) drove by on its way to the airport.
Karimov, who had served as president of the newly independent republic since 1991, suffered a brain hemorrhage on August 27.
Islam Karimov ruled for more than a quarter of a century, without naming a successor, so his death could well spark a struggle for power behind the scenes.
Uzbekistan has never held elections deemed free and fair by worldwide monitors, and Karimov won his fifth terms in office last March with 90 percent of the vote.
Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, retorted on Twitter that Obama “is mistaken if he thinks this new chapter will be written in Washington”.
State television in the tightly-controlled nation showed soldiers loading a coffin onto a plane for what it described as Karimov’s final journey to Samarkand.
Karimov was buried in the cemetery in Samarkand, near the tombs of his parents.
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He was accused by critics and human rights groups of harshly repressing dissent.
