Lovers in Uzbekistan who used to celebrate Valentine's Day by hearing pop singer Rayhan sing will have to look for other forms of entertainment this year.

Rayhan, a popular singer whose music mixes Eastern melodies with Western pop, has given a concert on 14 February for years.But this month the show has been cancelled, along with other events.

Instead of Valentine's Day, the authorities are trying instead to promote the study and appreciation of a local hero, the Moghul emperor Babur, whose birthday falls on 14 February.

Babur, a descendant of Genghis Khan and founder of a culturally rich and tolerant empire across South and Central Asia, will be commemorated in readings and poetic festivals.

An official from the education ministry's Department for Enlightenment and Promoting Values said it had issued an internal decree "not to celebrate holidays that are alien to our culture and instead promote Babur's birthday".The official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the decree had been in place for a while.

Uzbek citizens were divided on the move, which is the latest in a series by the authorities against Western influences.Abdullaw, a Tashkent resident who described himself as an intellectual, said it was right to stop the concert.

"It's the birthday of our great ancestor Mohammed Zahiriddin Babur," he said. "Why should we celebrate some artificial, lightweight event? It doesn't fit our mentality and our history."

But Jasur Hamraev, an entertainment journalist, said imposing patriotic celebrations was the wrong move.

"You shouldn't turn the day into a nationalistic cause because that just divides people," he said, adding that many young people would have enjoyed Rayhan's show.