UZBEKISTAN

NUKUS (NCU)

Located in the remote autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, Nukus is a resilient desert outpost and a beacon of high culture amidst the Kyzylkum Desert. Its crowning jewel is the Savitsky Museum, often called the “Louvre of the Steppe,” which houses a world-renowned collection of banned Soviet-era avant-garde art. The city serves as the vital gateway for travelers venturing to the haunting Ship Graveyard in Moynaq, where rusted hulls sit atop the former Aral Sea bed. From the ancient Zoroastrian ruins of the Mizdahkan Necropolis to the vibrant Karakalpak ethnographic displays, Nukus offers a profound, off-the-beaten-path encounter with Central Asian history and survival.