Locked in by deserts on all sides, the bleak land that makes up the western half of Uzbekistan is called Karakalpakstan. Formerly known as Khorezm, the area’s long history is dominated by the oasis towns along the life-giving Amu Darya.

With the seat of power in Tashkent and the Amu Darya drained to irrigate cotton plantations, Karakalpakstan is not blossoming.

Visitors come here, either to witness the disastrous present, or to unearth the glories of the past. A trip to Karakalpakstan combines well with a visit to Western Kazakhstan via the Aktau-Nukus road, Turkmenistan and the classic itinerary of Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities.

One of the icons of Central Asia, the shrunken Aral Sea is the sad star attraction of Karakalpakstan. See it with your own eyes, and notice what kind of thoughts and emotions it stirs up. Moynaq is the gateway town.

Nukus is the surprisingly fresh-looking capital of Karakalpakstan, with 1 major highlight: the Savitsky museum. The Savitsky museum holds the second largest collection of Soviet avant-garde paintings in the world (after the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg). Art lovers should not miss the opportunity to visit.

The traditional culture of Karakalpaks is one of nomadic husbandry, much closer to that of neighbouring Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan than to the urban, agrarian lifestyles of the inhabitants of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.

If you are a slow traveler interested in something beyond the traditional tourist highlights, saunter into Uchquduq or the Badai-Tugai nature reserve, or rent a deck chair at Ayaz Kul lake.

The main sights on the Ustyurt Plateau are on the Kazakh side of the border, but if you are into archaeology or desert fauna and flora, the Karakalpak side should definitely be on your list as well.

Construction of chimes for 1.8 billion soums has begun in Karakalpakstan.

The chimes will be constructed in the Chimbay district of Karakalpakstan.

Earlier it was reported that the government would allocate 43 trillion soums for the development of Karakalpakstan. It is planned to build the "Nukus City" complex in the region.

Of the promised 43 trillion soums, 10 trillion comes from the budget, 19 trillion – from international financial institutions and 14 trillion will be bank loans.

By Sher Karimov