Nukus is the capital of Karakalpakstan (an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan) and one of the most surprising cities in the country. Surrounded by northern deserts and located west of Khiva, it has become a refuge for art, archaeology and historical memory near the area of the vanished Aral Sea.
For many travellers, Nukus is synonymous with the Savitsky Museum, famous for its collection of “forbidden” Soviet avant-garde art, saved from censorship and kept in secret for decades. But the city is much more: the harsh landscapes of Karakalpakstan, the silence of the desert, the spirituality of Mizdakhan, and the chance to visit Muynak, a former Aral Sea port that today lies in the middle of the desert.
If you already know the classic Silk Road stops such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent, coming to Nukus shows you another face of the country: less touristy, more direct, a bit rough and very authentic. Here the journey becomes more human and more raw.
The Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art, better known as the Savitsky Museum, is the absolute jewel of Nukus. It was created by Igor Savitsky, a collector who, during the Soviet period, gathered thousands of works that were censored for not following the official socialist realism. He hid paintings, sketches and sculptures that were considered “dangerous” in a remote corner of the country where almost nobody was looking.
Today the museum holds more than 50,000 pieces, including Russian avant-garde, early Uzbek art, portraits, desert landscapes and abstract experimentation. It is considered one of the largest collections of Soviet avant-garde art outside Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Visiting it is moving because it’s not just “looking at beautiful paintings”. It is about understanding how artists from Central Asia and the former USSR risked their careers —and their freedom— to paint something different. It is political and cultural history at the same time.
Tip: if you visit with a local guide in English (we can help you from the contact page), the experience is much richer. They explain which works were considered dangerous and why.
Although modern Nukus developed in the 20th century (especially from the 1930s under Soviet administration), the region of Karakalpakstan has very ancient roots. This was the territory of Khorezm, an old oasis state that also included what is now Khiva and other mud-brick fortresses lost in the desert.
Around Nukus you can visit archaeological remains —fortresses, adobe walls, ruins half-swallowed by sand— that tell the story of caravan routes and agricultural settlements that survived in an extreme environment.
The Soviet footprint is clear in the urban layout: wide avenues, monumental administrative buildings, residential blocks built in series. For travellers interested in late-USSR aesthetics, Nukus feels like a time capsule.
This blend of ancient archaeology and recent Soviet past is rare within Uzbekistan. It is not the same narrative you hear in Samarkand (Timur, madrasas, blue domes). Here the keywords are frontier, military control, scientific exploration of the desert and, later on, ecological crisis.
Just a few kilometres from Nukus lies the area of Mizdakhan, considered one of the most spiritual sites in Karakalpakstan. It is a combination of a historic necropolis, Islamic mausoleums, venerated tombs and ancient ruins linked to local traditions.
People come here to pray, ask for protection and leave offerings. It is a place that mixes Central Asian Islam with older, almost legendary beliefs. Some stories connect it with mythical figures of Central Asia and even with the ancient Persian world.
Visually, it is striking: barren hills, raw brick, low domes, dry wind. If your travel style includes photography with “post-apocalyptic” or “desert mysticism” atmosphere, you will love it.
Practical recommendation: come with shoulders and knees covered. This is not a tourist park like Bukhara; it is a real place of devotion.
From Nukus many travellers take a day trip to Muynak, once a fishing port on the shores of the Aral Sea. Today the water has retreated dozens and dozens of kilometres. What remains is the so-called ship cemetery: rusted hulls in the middle of the desert, witnesses to one of the greatest environmental disasters of the 20th century.
Visiting Muynak hurts. It is not a “beautiful” excursion. It is an important one. It helps you understand how the massive diversion of rivers for irrigation (especially cotton fields) turned an inland sea into salty, toxic dust.
In Muynak there is also a small Aral Sea museum with historical photos, maps, oral testimonies and objects from the time when fishing gave work to the entire town.
From a responsible travel perspective, coming here and hiring local guides, eating in a small family café, buying water/food there, is a way to give economic support to communities that had to reinvent their lives after losing the sea.
At first glance Nukus may look sober: wide avenues, Soviet apartment blocks, simple cafés. But if you look closely you will see markets full of melons, tandoor bread, dried fish and local spices, stalls with Karakalpak handicrafts, embroidered hats, and you will hear several languages: Uzbek, Karakalpak and Russian.
Karakalpak identity is strong and distinct within Uzbekistan. Music, party clothing styles, specific embroidery patterns… everything tells its own story.
Practically speaking, Nukus has banks, basic hotels, local restaurants and the services you need to continue your trip towards the north of the country or westwards into more remote areas of Karakalpakstan. It is a real logistical base, not just a tourist stop.
If you would like photos with local people, always ask permission. Hospitality here is usually direct and sincere, but also very proud.
You can reach Nukus on a domestic flight from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. It is the fastest way to jump straight to the northwest of the country without spending days on the road.
Another popular option is to travel overland from Khiva or even from Bukhara, heading west. It is a long journey across desert areas, but there is a big plus: you see the landscape become drier and drier until you reach Karakalpak territory.
From Nukus you can arrange local transport to Muynak and the former shoreline of the Aral Sea. This is usually done by car with a driver, with photo stops at viewpoints, ship cemeteries and villages.
Within the city, getting around is easy with local taxis. Distances are relatively short and traffic is less chaotic than in Tashkent.
The climate in Nukus and in Karakalpakstan in general is continental and extreme: very hot, dry summers and cold, windy winters. If you are going on excursions into the desert or to Muynak, bring enough water, sun protection, sunglasses, something to cover your head and neck, and clothes that can handle dust and sand.
In terms of traveller safety, the area is usually calm, but remember you are far from classic tourist centres such as Samarkand or Bukhara. Distances here are long and services (fuel, hot food, toilets) can be scarce. Plan with common sense.
Always respect sacred sites (for example in Mizdakhan) and avoid behaviour like taking selfies on top of graves. For local people these places are not ruins, they are living spiritual spaces.
One last key point: learn a few basic words in Uzbek or even in Karakalpak (greetings, thank you). People really appreciate the effort and the usual response is a huge smile and an invitation for tea. That human warmth is the real reward for travelling this far.
Do you want to organize an itinerary including Nukus, Muynak, the Aral Sea and then head down to Khiva or Bukhara? Write to us via contact and we’ll help you with transfers, English-speaking guides and key photo stops.
