Uzbek customs and traditions have been forming for centuries, dating back to the 6th-7th centuries BC when nomadic tribes settled in the valleys of Amu-Darya, Syr-Darya, and Zarafshan. The initial formation of Uzbek culture was influenced by the ancient cults of their ancestors. The territory of present-day Uzbekistan, situated between two rivers, became the foundation for the development of cultures that eventually shaped Uzbek culture.