Uzbekistan is a land of extremes, where vast stretches of arid and semi-arid terrain have shaped human history for millennia. From the Kyzylkum Desert in the northwest to the semi-deserts around Termez, these unforgiving environments have dictated where communities could put down roots, how they traveled, and how they adapted to some of Central Asia's harshest conditions.
Yet these deserts are far from empty. They conceal ancient urban centers, sacred monuments, and living traditions that speak to a deep, enduring relationship between people and their surroundings. Each landscape—from the archaeological treasures of Karakalpakstan to the transformed steppes of Jizzakh and the semi-desert of Surkhandarya—tells a distinct chapter of that story.
Ancient cities beneath the sands of Karakalpakstan
In the desert plains of Karakalpakstan, the ruins of Akchakhan Kala offer a window into the ancient kingdom of Khorezm. Archaeologists have uncovered defensive walls, ceremonial buildings, and a palace-temple complex dating back more than two thousand years, shedding new light on one of Central Asia's earliest urban centers.
The site spans 56 hectares and has been the focus of international excavations since the 1990s. Researchers from Uzbekistan have collaborated with Australian and, more recently, Chinese teams to map the city's layout and preserve its remains. According to Serik Baybosinov, head of Karakalpakstan's cultural heritage department, the excavations have revealed the central square, palace, and ceremonial structures, with plans to develop the site as an open-air museum while maintaining its historical integrity.
The discoveries have also transformed historians' understanding of ancient Khorezm's religious and artistic life. Over more than three decades of work, researchers have found well-preserved defensive walls and a palace-temple complex adorned with rare wall paintings from the second and first centuries BC.
“The temple revealed an extraordinary collection of wall paintings,” says Vadim Yagodin, a researcher at the Karakalpak Research Institute of Humanities. “Based on its layout, we believe it most likely served as an important ceremonial centre during that period.”
Although Akchakhan Kala predates the medieval Silk Road's peak, archaeologists argue it demonstrates that organized urban life flourished in Central Asia's deserts long before those famous trade routes emerged.
Chilpyk Dakhma and the legacy of Zoroastrianism
Further across Karakalpakstan, another monument reflects a different facet of the region's past. Rising above the desert, Chilpyk Dakhma—also known as the Tower of Silence—is one of Central Asia's most significant reminders of Zoroastrian funerary traditions. Archaeologists provisionally date it to the third century BC.
According to Yagodin, the structure was used for ritual exposure of the dead, after which bones were placed in ossuaries. Yet many questions remain. “We have never found where these ossuaries were ultimately taken,” he explains. “Here stands this enormous monument associated with an important religious cult, yet there are no settlements anywhere around it. Why? That remains an unanswered question.”
These unresolved mysteries continue to make Chilpyk one of the region's most intriguing archaeological sites.
From the “Hungry Steppe” to productive farmland
Several hundred kilometers to the southeast, the landscape shifts dramatically. The Mirzachul steppe in Jizzakh region was once known as the “Hungry Steppe” due to its arid climate and scarce water. Large-scale irrigation projects in the twentieth century gradually transformed parts of it into one of Uzbekistan's key agricultural zones.
Local resident Bozorgul Xalikova recalls stories from before those changes. “People used to say that if a bird flew across this land, its wings would burn, and if someone walked across it, their feet would burn,” she says. “Little by little, people settled here, more land was cultivated, and these empty desert areas gradually became productive.”
The nearby village of Oqtom grew around a single well that once served travelers crossing the steppe. “Our village began with just one house and one well,” says Sherali Tillayev, chair of the Oqtom Citizens' Assembly. “Travellers passing through the desert would stop here to rest and drink water before continuing their journey.” As irrigation expanded in the 1950s and 1960s, farming replaced much of the open steppe, illustrating how access to water continued to shape settlement across Uzbekistan's arid lands.
Life in the Kattakum semi-desert
In southern Surkhandarya region, the Kattakum landscape offers yet another perspective. Though often called a desert, experts describe it as a semi-desert. Seasonal rainfall, underground water, and the nearby Amu Darya River support far more vegetation than larger deserts like the Karakum.
“This is more accurately described as a semi-desert rather than a true desert,” says Shukhrat Ibragimov from the regional tourism department. “If there were no water here, especially the Amu Darya, the area around Termiz would probably look exactly like this.”
The landscape sustains saxaul shrubs, ephemeral spring plants, and wild tulips. Conservation efforts in recent years have helped restore vegetation that had been cut for fuel. At the same time, the semi-desert continues to influence daily life. Seasonal winds, known locally as the Afghan wind, regularly carry sand toward Termez, making vegetation an important natural barrier against erosion.
Interest in the area is growing among visitors, drawn by its unique ecology and the chance to see how people have long coexisted with such a demanding environment. As Uzbekistan opens up to international tourism, these desert landscapes—and the stories they hold—are becoming a compelling draw for those seeking to understand the country's deep heritage.
For more on how Uzbekistan's water heritage shapes its past and present, see our feature on water across the country. And for a broader look at the region's transformation, read about Uzbekistan's decade of reforms.
