The largest city in northwestern Uzbekistan has one of Central Asia's most important art collections at the Savitsky Museum, with over 90,000 Soviet-era works.
Nukus, the capital of Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan region, lies near the Kyzylkum Desert, surrounded by cotton fields and the shrinking Aral Sea. This city draws travelers with the Igor Savitsky Museum’s avant-garde art collection, Soviet-era architecture, and access to the dry seabed where fishing boats now sit stranded. You can walk through markets selling wool hats and dried yogurt balls, examine 2,500-year-old Zoroastrian burial sites at Mizdakhan, or take a taxi to see flamingos in the Amu Darya delta wetlands. Once overlooked, Nukus now reveals how communities adapt to extreme environments through art, history, and survival strategies shaped by water scarcity.
Visit the Igor Savitsky Museum for Avant-Garde Art and History
The Igor Savitsky Museum holds more than 80,000 items, from Soviet-era paintings to Karakalpak jewelry and ancient pottery. Savitsky, an artist from Kyiv, collected works banned during Stalin’s rule, including pieces by Alexander Volkov and Ural Tansykbayev—artists who faced censorship for rejecting socialist realism. Five galleries display bold geometric paintings from the 1920s, embroidered textiles, and reconstructed yurt interiors. In the same building, you’ll find iron-wrought camel bells and hand-carved qobuz lutes used in traditional music. Plan to spend at least two hours here; English-speaking guides explain how these artifacts survived political purges.
Understand Karakalpakstan’s Past Through Its Museums
At the Berdakh State Museum, clay pots from Bronze Age settlements and Soviet-era photographs document how irrigation projects transformed the region. One room displays a stuffed Turan tiger, a predator declared extinct in the 1970s. For a personal perspective, visit the House Museum of Amet and Ayimkhan Shamuratov to hear recordings of Karakalpak epic poetry performed with dutar lutes. Near the bus station, the Central Market lets you touch thick sheepskin coats, taste salty kurut cheese balls, and watch vendors stack dried fish from the Amu Darya River. These places highlight how trade and tradition persist despite decades of environmental challenges.
Take Day Trips to the Aral Sea and Ancient Sites
Join a guided tour to Moynaq, where eight rusted fishing boats rest on the dried Aral Sea floor—a three-hour drive from Nukus. Guides explain how Soviet cotton farming diverted rivers, shrinking the sea by 90% since the 1960s. Closer to the city, the Mizdakhan Necropolis has crumbling brick tombs where Zoroastrians once left bodies exposed to the elements. Look for the small hill called Adam’s Grave, where pilgrims tie cloth strips to a wish-granting tree. South of Nukus, the round stone tower of Chilpyk stands isolated on a hill, once used for sky burials. Between April and October, boat tours at Sudochie Lakes let you spot pink flamingos feeding in shallow waters.
Getting to Nukus and Moving Around
Daily flights from Tashkent take 90 minutes, while overnight trains from the capital arrive at 7 AM. Shared taxis from Urgench cost about $10 per seat and follow a paved highway through desert plains. Central Nukus stretches less than 3 kilometers across, so walking between the Savitsky Museum, Central Market, and most hotels takes 15-20 minutes. Taxis charge 8,000-10,000 Uzbek som (under $1) for rides within the city. Visit between April-May or September-October to avoid summer heat above 40°C. Book rooms at Jipek Joli Hotel for air conditioning and hot showers, or choose Besqala Hostel’s shared kitchen to save money.
Eat Grilled Fish and Shop for Wool Crafts
Try besbarmak at family-run cafes—a dish of boiled lamb served over flat noodles, often paired with sour cream. Neo Restaurant near the museum serves plov with carrots and raisins, while Cinnamon Café bakes walnut-filled pastries. At the Central Market, vendors grill sturgeon skewers over charcoal; eat them with onion flatbread. Look for craftspeople selling black-and-red embroidered robes, silver earrings shaped like ram horns, and camel wool carpets dyed with pomegranate skins. Bargain politely—prices drop by 30% if you show interest in multiple items.
How Nukus Adapts to Environmental Change
The Aral Sea’s disappearance left salty dust storms and fewer fish, but projects like tree planting aim to stabilize the soil. At the Savitsky Museum, staff discuss how preserving art mirrors efforts to save Karakalpak language and music from fading. In parks along the Amu Darya, farmers grow melons using narrow irrigation canals, and new wells provide drinking water. Older residents remember when the sea’s shorelines reached Moynaq; younger guides explain delta restoration plans. This balance between loss and innovation defines daily life in Nukus.
