One of the best day trip adventures that you can include in your trip to Khiva would be a quick day trip to the Khorezm Fortresses in Karakalpakstan. Technically you are still in Uzbekistan but you would be travelling to the Republic of Karakalpakstan which is an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan having its flag.
History Of Karakalpakstan
This is a short history lesson that will explain why you should make the trip. Karakalpakstan was always an autonomous republic even during the Soviet times. Post the independence, when Uzbekistan separated from the USSR, it decided to be a part of Uzbekistan while maintaining its right to break away under certain conditions. It still has veto powers in the Uzbekistan parliament thus ensuring the power to govern itself to a certain degree.
The desert fortresses of Khorezm fall in the territory of Karakalpakstan, so when you will be travelling here from Khiva, you will be quietly going into Karakalpakstan. Don’t expect any border check posts it will be just a combination of highways and unpaved roads. Occasionally you will find some large gates with the name of the village or town.
History Of Khorezm Desert Fortresses
Around the 7th century B.C., settlements started appearing around the Amu Darya (River) and these settlements started spreading across vast regions. This region was like an oasis when seen on a map one can see the vastness of the desert sand that’s spread all across. The mud castles were like fortresses protecting the settlements from a constant stream of invaders. Eventually, the demise of these settlements was also a result of these invaders when this region was overrun by Genghis Khan in the 13th century A.D. Most of the fortresses were destroyed or damaged, and the population also had a similar fate of either being killed or enslaved.
These forts were built using raw mud bricks which were layered with a layer of soil along with other materials. Due to the dry weather and low rainfall, these managed to survive in some form even after centuries of neglect. They managed to build large gates, watch towers, rooms, boundary walls, and steps with this process.
Further expansion of these can be seen for fortresses that were built during the 2nd and 12th centuries A.D. The latter ones were more sophisticated in terms of design and features.
With the reduction of water supply in this region we can see the desert is trying to slowly engulf the remaining fertile land. Some of the fortresses can be seen almost surrounded by the desert sands.
Visitors still can see what remains of the forts, while some still have large visible structures most of them have only a few sections, and one has to imagine what the fort might have looked like centuries back.
How To Visit Khorezm Desert Fortresses
Most tourists visit Khorezm Fortresses during their trip to Khiva. In most cases, it would be a day from Khiva and for some, this would be a stopover on their way to visiting the Aral Sea. You would need a taxi from Khiva when doing a day trip, which can be either arranged by the hotel or guest house where you are staying or you can also go to the local taxi stand to enquire.
I found the cost for a day trip to be similar to what was proposed by the guest house and what I found at the taxi stand. I decided to book it from the guest house as our host could speak fluent English and that helped in communicating with the driver.
You can decide on the number of forts that you want to visit. Tourists usually opt for the three major forts but one can also go for all the forts; keep in mind the price varies as per the number of places you want to cover. I opted for three forts as I had to take the late afternoon train from Urgench to Bukhara.
Please remember to carry drinking water and some light snacks. Most of these forts are located in isolated spots with no shops nearby. On the main highway, there are hotels where you can have a meal or snacks, but inform the driver so that he can stop accordingly.
For the summer season do carry sun hats or umbrellas as the temperature in the middle of the desert can be hot. For the winter season, layer up and don’t be surprised if you find freezing conditions.
Wear proper shoes and avoid slippers or crocks as you have to climb up to the top of the forts. Most of the forts do not have any proper staircases or pathways. Tourists need to take the beaten path and I have seen some tourists slipping or sliding as they were not wearing proper footwear with grips.
The forts are not too frequented by tourists; during the peak tourist season, some trickle down, but during the offseason, they remain vacant. There are no ticket counters or guards; thus, be aware of the surroundings. Normally, I have not heard any negative incidents from tourists, but do keep in mind that chances are that you will be all alone; this is especially applicable for solo travellers. When I went on this trip, I only found one fort having some local tourists rest of the forts were empty.
What To See At Khorezm Desert Fortresses
As mentioned earlier, there are several forts that you can visit, so it all depends on your travel plan. The three main forts are:-
Ayaz Kala
Toprak Kala
Kyzyl Kala
Apart from these, the other visited ones are:-
(The spelling of these varies in different documents, thus I have tried to list as per the most used)
Anka
Dzhanbas (Djanbas)
Guldursun (Guldersan)
Kurgashin
Kirkiz (Kirkkiz)
Koi Kirilgan
Angkha
Dumon
Yekke Parsan
Gyuar
Kalajik
Dakhma
Chilpek
Ayaz Kala
This is the first desert fortress that we visited and this was a mind-blowing experience. Surrounded by the desert sand, this place looks stunning. There are three sites out here, and one can visit two of the sites which can be visited while the third one is completely in ruins.
Ayaz Kala 1 which is the largest of the lot, is dated to around the 4th century B.C. However, more additions to the main structure were built over the centuries. You can see ten-meter-high walls and arches all along the top. The upper portion is flat from where you can see the surrounding area, the walls in some sections have collapsed while in some portions the arched sections are still seen and one can climb to the top.
All around the top section, one can see scattered stones and bricks, during the excavation (Soviet era) a lot of the excavated items were taken to Moscow.
Ayaz Kala 2 is a small section located right in front of Section 1 whereas the third section only has some foundation portions visible.
Toprak Kala
Our next stop was Toprak Kala, which is dated between the 1st to 2nd centuries A.D. further additions were made until the 6th century A.D. This fort is also similarly built with mud bricks and layers of mud; some sections were seen, which show that large logs were used to create roof-like structures for rooms within the structure.
During excavation, coins from the 2nd century A.D. were found, which indicated a ruler named Artav (Artabanus). Areas around this region were once ruled by the Kushan Empire. Some of the sections that can be seen here are the throne room, hall of kings, hall of dancing monks, hall of warriors, etc.
Kyzyl Kala
This is the third fort that we visited and amongst the other two, this was the smallest one and also the best preserved. Historians have dated this to have been built between the 1st to 4th centuries A.D. There are indications that this place was repaired and renovated during the 12th century. There is a clear pathway marked out that one can take to reach the top of the fort.
Location of Khorezm Desert Fortresses On Map
Vlog Of Khorezm Desert Fortresses
Other Blogs On Uzbekistan
Khiva Itchan Kala
Tashkent Metro
Hazrati Imam Complex