Karakalpakstan

Overview

Karakalpakstan is the largest administrative unit of Uzbekistan and one of the least populated. It is the home of the Karakalpaks, a Turkic-speaking people with their own language, epic songs and crafts. The republic stretches from the farms of the Amu Darya delta to the Kyzylkum desert and the Ustyurt plateau.

Travellers usually come for three things: the Savitsky collection of art in Nukus, the clusters of ancient mud-brick fortresses south of the capital, and Moynaq, once a fishing port on the Aral Sea and now far from the water.

History

The lower Amu Darya was part of ancient Khwarazm. Its desert edges are dotted with fortresses and settlements from the centuries around the turn of the era, built to guard irrigated land against raids from the steppe. Many were abandoned when rivers and canals shifted.

The Karakalpaks settled in the delta in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the Soviet period the area became an autonomous republic, later joined to Uzbekistan. From the 1960s, large-scale irrigation upstream reduced the flow of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya into the Aral Sea, which shrank dramatically and changed life in the delta.

Getting there

Nukus has an airport with flights from Tashkent. Trains from Tashkent also reach Nukus, usually overnight; check current schedules before you travel.

Many visitors arrive by road from Khiva or Urgench. The Ellikkala fortresses lie between the two cities and Nukus, so a driver can combine them with the transfer in one day.

Getting around

Distances are long and public transport outside Nukus is limited, so most travellers hire a car with a driver. Shared taxis run between Nukus and the district towns, including Moynaq.

Trips to the Ustyurt plateau and the present Aral Sea shore need an off-road vehicle and an experienced driver, usually as a two-day trip with a night in a yurt camp or tent.

When to go

Late April to early June and September to mid-October are the best times. Summers are very hot and the desert offers little shade; winters are cold and windy, and desert tracks can be hard to use after rain or snow.

Food

Karakalpak food is simple and filling: boiled meat with wide hand-cut noodles, broths, flatbread and dairy. Fish from the delta lakes is common in Nukus and Moynaq.

Outside Nukus, choice is limited, so carry water and snacks on long drives. In yurt camps, meals are usually included and cooked on site.

Crafts

Karakalpak crafts grew from nomadic life: felt and woven bands for yurts, embroidered women's headdresses and coats, and silver jewellery set with coral and carnelian. Good examples are on display in the Savitsky museum and the history museum in Nukus.

Epic songs are still performed by singers called jyrau, who accompany themselves on the bowed qobyz.

Good to know

Carry your passport: police checkpoints on the main roads may ask for it. Bring sun protection, a hat and plenty of water for the fortresses, where there is little shade.

At Moynaq and around the Aral Sea, remember that the loss of the sea is a painful part of local life. Be thoughtful when photographing people and homes, and listen to how residents describe it.