Uzbekistan’s autonomous, difficult to pronounce, Republic of Karakalpakstan, has a chain of fortified settlements dating back over two thousand years. Known by UNESCO as the ‘Golden Ring of Ancient Khorezm’, the area’s traditional name is Eliq-Qala meaning ‘fifty fortresses’, which includes those yet to be discovered. Whilst around 20 can be visited, our itinerary included three.
Ayaz Qala or Windy Fort
We began with the oldest fort, and having parked at a deserted yurt camp, my heart sank when I spied the ruins high on a hill. A trek took us firstly across a section of the Kyzylkum Desert which means Red Sand in Turkic languages. We then followed a steep and narrow track upwards, made more difficult by loose rocks and stones, and at times, I was not too proud to ask for our guide’s helping hand.
At the top were the remains of the double walls around the one-hectare site where 400 to 500 people would have lived. There were good views of the surrounding countryside, camels in the distance and the desert, but really there was little to see, apart from a second smaller fort below.
As we clambered back down, we met a large local family on their way up, who asked to have their photo taken with us and we duly obliged.
A short drive took us to the next fort.
Toprak Qala
This was a much larger fort, but fortunately, the access was not as steep although it still involved a climb up a rocky path. This fort was the palace of the Khorezm kings, and we could see the layout of the various streets, houses and rooms, and a Zoroastrian fire temple. This fort had a lighthouse or beacon which would have been used for navigating the desert by night. It was also thought there may have been a secret tunnel between this fortress and the next on our itinerary, although this has never been found.
Despite the arid landscape, our guide pointed out several nameless green birds and the odd well camouflaged lizard.
Kyzyl Qala
The original walls had been recently fortified with supporting walls, and to reach the top, we climbed a flight of 40 steps. This fort has not been excavated and we were shown pieces of different pottery reflecting the various ages.
All three were eerily quiet with only a couple of other visitors at each. It’s probably fair to say that a good degree of imagination or a keen interest in ancient history and archeology is required to enjoy the sights, particularly when the temperatures were in the high 30s and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen.
