Aral Sea & Karakalpakstan from Khiva, 4 days
Khiva → Desert fortresses of Khorezm → Nukus → Muynak & the Aral Sea
From €595 per personView tour
Capital of Karakalpakstan · Uzbekistan
Nukus travel guide
An unexpected world-class collection of avant-garde art.
Nukus is the capital of Karakalpakstan, about three hours by road north of Khiva. Travellers come for the Savitsky Museum, which holds tens of thousands of artworks, including Soviet-era avant-garde paintings banned elsewhere. Allow one night: the museum, the Mizdakhan necropolis nearby, and the start of the road to the Aral Sea.
Nukus is the capital of the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, and the reason most people come is the Savitsky Museum. From the 1960s, the painter and collector Igor Savitsky gathered tens of thousands of works, including avant-garde paintings that were banned elsewhere in the Soviet Union, and kept them in this remote desert city, far from the censors.
Nukus itself is a modern, low-rise city of broad avenues. It is the starting point for trips to the Aral Sea and Muynak, and lies a few hours from the desert fortresses of Khorezm.
- Time needed
- 1 night
- Best time
- April–May and September–October
- Getting there
- Flights from Tashkent; about 3 hours by road from Khiva, passing the desert fortresses; trains on the line through Karakalpakstan.
Don’t miss
What to see in Nukus
- 01
Savitsky Museum
One of the largest collections of Russian and Central Asian avant-garde art, plus Karakalpak jewellery, textiles and archaeology.
- 02
Mizdakhan necropolis
A vast hilltop cemetery used for over two thousand years, near Khodjeyli, about 20 km away.
- 03
Gyaur Kala
Ruined fortress walls above the Mizdakhan cemetery, with views over the Amu Darya plain.
- 04
Karakalpak crafts
Embroidered costumes, felt and silver jewellery in the museum’s ethnographic halls and in local workshops.
The Savitsky Museum
The State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan named after I. V. Savitsky is one of the most remarkable museums in Central Asia. Igor Savitsky came to the region in the 1950s with an archaeological expedition, stayed, and became the museum’s founder and director. He collected Karakalpak folk art first, then turned to painters who had been sidelined or banned under Stalin: the Russian avant-garde, and the "Turkestan school" of artists who worked in Central Asia in the 1920s and 30s. Officials in Moscow rarely came to Nukus, which allowed the collection to grow.
What to see: - The avant-garde collection, shown in rotating selections because the holdings are far larger than the exhibition space. - Artists of Central Asia, such as Alexander Volkov, Ural Tansykbaev and others who painted the region’s light, bazaars and landscapes. - Karakalpak applied arts: embroidered robes, felt, silver jewellery and the tall headdresses of brides. - Archaeology from ancient Khorezm, including finds from the desert fortresses.
Plan at least two to three hours. A guide who knows the collection makes a great difference. Photo rules and ticket types change; check at the desk.
Mizdakhan and Gyaur Kala
Near the town of Khodjeyli, about 20 km west of Nukus, the hills of Mizdakhan have been used as a burial ground for more than two thousand years. The site is still an active cemetery and a place of pilgrimage. Among the graves are old mausoleums, including the Mazlumkhan Sulu mausoleum, partly underground, and on a neighbouring hill the eroded walls of Gyaur Kala, a fortress of ancient Khorezm. Visit in the late afternoon for the light over the plain, and behave as you would in any cemetery.
Nukus as a base
- To the Aral Sea: Muynak is about 200 km north; the shore of the sea is a further 4×4 journey across the Ustyurt plateau. See Muynak and the Aral Sea.
- To the fortresses: Toprak Kala and Ayaz Kala are about 2 hours south-east, on the road to Khiva. See desert fortresses.
- Chilpik, the Zoroastrian tower of silence, is on the road between Nukus and the fortresses.
- Onward: flights from Nukus to Tashkent save the long drive back east.
Practical information
- How long: one night is enough for the museum and Mizdakhan. Add nights for the Aral Sea.
- Hotels: a small choice of city hotels; book ahead in spring and autumn.
- Money: carry cash in som; card acceptance is limited outside larger hotels.
- Food: try Karakalpak dishes such as beshbarmak (boiled meat with flat noodles) and fish dishes from the Amu Darya delta.
Tours
Tours that include Nukus
Nukus: frequently asked questions
Is Nukus worth visiting?
Yes, if you have any interest in art. The Savitsky Museum is one of the great collections of Soviet-era avant-garde painting, and it is shown in a city few tourists reach. Combine it with the desert fortresses and Mizdakhan.
How far is Nukus from Khiva?
About three hours by road. The desert fortresses of Toprak Kala and Ayaz Kala are on the way, which makes a good one-day journey north from Khiva.
How long do you need at the Savitsky Museum?
At least two to three hours. Serious art lovers spend a full day.
Nearby
Continue your journey
