The Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan lies in northwest Uzbekistan. Straddling the banks of the life-giving Amu Darya (River Oxus) and incorporating both the remains of the Aral Sea and the Aral-Qum, the new desert created as the sea retreated, it’s a harsh yet beautiful landscape.

Birds of prey circle above the cliffs at the edge of the Ustyurt Plateau, while flamingos and other water birds fish in the Sudochye Lakes. Saiga antelope roam free in remote areas of the Saigachy Reserve and Resurrection Island, and in the tugai forests of the Lower Amudarya Biosphere Reserve you will find rare Bactrian deer, honey badgers, and golden jackals. The Karakalpak people who call this land home were, until recently, semi-nomadic, fishing and herding their flocks and living for much of the year in distinctively decorated yurts. Though now they live in houses and apartments, they still proudly keep many of the traditions of their ancestors alive.

ANCIENT KHOREZM
Historically, Karakalpakstan encompassed a large part of the ancient civilization of Khorezm, remnants of which can still be seen today. More than 50 desert fortresses – the most spectacular of which are Ayaz Kala, Jampik Kala, and Toprak Kala – defended lucrative Silk Road trade routes along the Amu Darya and across the desert to the Caspian Sea.

You can climb the battlements and towers, walk the streets and enter the citadels of forts founded more than 2,500 years ago, and in the same archaeological sites find evidence of Buddhism and Zoroastrian, the two dominant faiths in Karakalpakstan before the arrival of Islam. Unlike historic monuments elsewhere in Central Asia, few visitors come this far. You are therefore likely to have treasures such as Chilpik Dakhma (a Zoroastrian tower of silence) to yourself.

Karakalpakstan retained its strategic and economic importance throughout the medieval period, attracting the attention of the Khorezmians, Golden Horde Mongols, Timurids, and Shaibanids. Overland trade thrived, as attested to by large structures like the 14th century Beleuli Caravanserai; and Islamic pilgrimage sites developed, too. Centuries on, local Muslims still come to the mausoleums of Mizdakhan and the shrines of Hakim Ata and Sultan Uvays Dag to pray.

During the 17th century, the Karakalpaks—the nomadic Turkic-speaking people who lend their name to the region—arrived from the north and eventually settled down around the Aral Sea. The Karakalpak language, a branch of the Kipchak family within the larger Turkic language group, is closely related to Kazakh. Despite pressure from the dominant languages in the region, notably Uzbek and Russian, Karakalpak has remained a crucial part of the group’s cultural identity. Karakalpak poets are national heroes, and the recitation of traditional epics is highly prized as a skill.

WHO ARE THE KARAKALPAKS?
The name Karakalpak translates as “black hat” and is thought to refer to the traditional headwear worn by Karakalpak men. It symbolizes dignity, wisdom, authenticity, and strength—qualities deeply embedded in the identity of Karakalpakstan and its people. Just as the kalpak has been passed down through generations as a symbol of heritage, we at Kalpak Travel embrace this spirit. We are dedicated to sharing the authentic essence of Central Asia and showcasing its unique beauty to the world.

Historically, the Karakalpaks formed a loose confederation of tribes. This social structure allowed them to adapt to the harsh, ever-changing environments of Central Asia while maintaining their independence and cultural cohesion. By the 18th century, the Karakalpaks came under the influence of the Khanate of Khiva, a powerful state which controlled much of what is now western Uzbekistan. Many Karakalpak folk tales tell us about this period of their history, including the many epic battles, forced migrations, and the bravery of national heroes.

Historically, the Karakalpaks formed a loose confederation of tribes. This social structure allowed them to adapt to the harsh, ever-changing environments of Central Asia while maintaining their independence and cultural cohesion. By the 18th century, the Karakalpaks came under the influence of the Khanate of Khiva, a powerful state which controlled much of what is now western Uzbekistan. Many Karakalpak folk tales tell us about this period of their history, including the many epic battles, forced migrations, and the bravery of national heroes.
When the Russian Empire expanded into Central Asia in the late 19th century, the political and cultural landscape of Karakalpakstan began to shift. The population began to settle in towns and cities, and major infrastructure projects – including the construction of railways and huge irrigation canals – changed the landscape as well as people’s ways of life.
The pace of change accelerated still further after the formation of the Soviet Union. Steamer ships crossed the Aral Sea bringing timber from the Urals, the fishing and agricultural sectors industrialised, and the previously unremarkable village of Nukus was chosen as the capital of the recently created Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). With overexploitation of water resources from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, in particular for cotton farming, the Aral Sea began shrinking. Traditional livelihoods and the landscape itself were under threat.

What to see in Karakalpakstan
Nukus
Nukus has been the capital of Karakalpakstan since 1932. In the Soviet period, the city was hard to visit: not only was it a long way from major population centres, but it was also the location of the Chemical Research Institute, a secretive military complex where scientists worked on the Soviet Union’s chemical weapons programme. The relative isolation had its upsides, however. Curator Igor Savitsky was able to establish one of the world’s greatest collections of avant-garde art works here, including paintings by artists who had been banned by Stalin, because the authorities in Moscow paid Nukus so little attention.

The Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, or simply the Savitsky Museum, is often dubbed the “Louvre in the Desert” or the “Gallery of Forbidden Art”. The museum owns around 10,000 avant-garde artworks, from both the Russian and Turkestan avant-garde traditions, plus vast collections of archaeological and ethnographic artefacts. The museum opened two new galleries in 2024/5, but only a fraction of the collection is on show at any one time.
To learn about the applied arts of Karakalpakstan, check out the full size yurt and costume gallery at the State Museum of the History and Culture of Karakalpakstan. Large-scale mosaics decorate many public buildings and apartment blocks, and there are numerous artists’ studios and small house museums which welcome culture-loving guests.

MOYNAQ & THE ARAL SEA
The shrinking of the Aral Sea was one of the worst man made environmental disasters of the 20th century, and it continues to have a profound, damaging impact on Karakalpakstan. 60 years ago, the town of Moynaq has a flourishing fishing industry, processing Aral Sea fish in its canneries and shipping it across the Soviet Union. Now, Moynaq is more than 180 km from the water’s edge, and the Aralkum – the world’s newest desert – grows larger every year.

The Cemetery of Ships in Moynaq is a ghostly reminder of the past: the rusting fishing trawlers lie stranded in the sand, creating an eerie, surreal landscape. But although this is a place of ecological trauma, the Karakalpak people are resilient, fighting back against climate change and developing community-based tourism. They tell their stories through art and everyday artifacts in the Ecological Museum and the Museum of the Aral Sea, and you can also visit a former Fisherman’s House.

It is now at least a half day’s drive from Moynaq to the Aral Sea, but it feels like an act of pilgrimage. The sea is still there, a brilliant blue, with beaches and dramatic cliffs all around. Migratory birds come here to nest and drink. There are more than 120 species of drought-resistant plants, plus endangered creatures like the Central Asian tortoise, Tatar sand boa, and caracal. Now and then, you will see the ruins of a fortified tower, or the gravestones of long-gone nomads. The scale of the landscape, and the damage which humanity has caused, is humbling.

WILDLIFE OF KARAKALPAKSTAN
Central Asia is not widely known for wildlife watching: the animals – and in particular large mammals – tend to be few and far between, and well camouflaged in their native habitats. This makes the biodiversity of Karakalpakstan and its relative visibility all the more special.
In the 1970s, Bactrian deer (also known as Bukharan deer) were nearly extinct. However, a successful breeding programme in Karakalpakstan now means that the Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve (LABR) has the world’s largest population. A small number live in an enclosure, where scientists can study their behavior; but the vast majority of the 1,600-plus deer run wild in the tugai forest alongside the Amu Darya.
The conservation of saiga antelope is another success story. In 2024, it was announced that these extraordinary-looking creatures are no longer critically endangered. There are estimated to be around 600 saiga in Karakalpakstan, mostly on the Ustyurt Plateau and around Resurrection Island.
Birders have plenty of sites to enjoy in Karakalpakstan. The best bird watching is at Sudochye Lakes, a Ramsar Wetland and BirdLife Important Bird Area (IBA). The pink flamingos are certainly colourful, but more unusual are the white-headed duck, white and Dalmatian pelican, glossy ibis, and white-eyed pochard. Twitchers should also check out LABR, the Ustyurt Plateau, and Achikul on the edge of Nukus.

KARAKALPAKSTAN’S ANCIENT SITES
For more than 3,000 years, people have built cities, fortresses, necropolises, and places of worship in Karakalpakstan. As the climate is dry – it hardly ever rains – those ancient structures are remarkably well preserved, and archaeological expeditions dating back to the 1920s have found hundreds of fascinating sites.

The Desert Fortresses of Ancient Khorezm are predominantly situated in southern Karakalpakstan, along what was once the frontier between empires. There are more than 50 of these fortresses, varying in size, age, and condition. The most substantial are Toprak Kala and Jampik Kala, though the advantages of visiting Ayaz Kala are that you see three fortresses in the same place and can also spend a night in a yurt.
Dotted across Karakalpakstan there are numerous necropolises, with graves from ancient times to the present day. Sometimes, these are marked with simple headstones; but in other instances there are grand mausoleums. Historically and architecturally most significant is the necropolis at Mizdakhan. Local legend says that this was the burial place of Adam, the first man; and that one of the mausoleums is an apocalypse clock. When the final brick falls from its walls, the world will end, so helpful pilgrims keep piling them back up.

Other sites of interest include Chilpik Dakhma, a Zoroastrian burial site where bodies were left on the top of a tower to be consumed by birds of prey. The huge stone gateway of the Beleuli Caravanserai still stands, reminding us of the importance of the overland trade route through Karakalpakstan to the Caspian Sea.
Karakalpakstan is a land of rich history and striking landscapes. From the ancient fortresses of Khorezm and frequent reminders of the Silk Roads, to the environmental challenges and conservation success stories, it provides an unforgettable journey through time. At Kalpak Travel, we are proud to showcase the authentic spirit of Karakalpakstan, offering curated tours like the best of Uzbekistan and Best of Central Asia which connect travellers with this fascinating region. Join us to experience the beauty and resilience of Karakalpakstan firsthand, and immerse yourself in the wonders of one of Central Asia’s most unique and under-explored destinations.
The blog is written by Sophie Ibbotson, tourism development consultant and writer specialising in Central Asia. She is the founder of Maximum Exposure Ltd., author of Bradt Travel Guides‘ Karakalpakstan, and Chairman of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.