Navoiy Province: Rock Art, Lakes and Historic Sites

Navoiy Province offers a wide range of discoveries: prehistoric rock art, desert and lake landscapes, and buildings dating back several centuries. Before your trip, consider what interests you most: nature and wildlife, water-based activities, or history and architecture. These priorities lead to different places and give your holiday planning a clear direction.

Rock Art, Mountains and Wildlife

The ancient site of Sarmishsay is known for its rock art: more than 10,000 depictions from the Stone Age show hunting, rituals and social interactions. The motifs offer a vivid introduction to the long history of human ways of life. If you are travelling with children, the images can also prompt you to look together at the scenes and activities depicted.

The landscape around Sarmishsay is also varied. Striking mountain ranges, valleys and distinctive rock formations define the area and support diverse wildlife and plant life. Those who enjoy taking in landscapes and noticing animals or plants will find a different reason to visit here than those focusing on historic buildings.

Aydarkul is a landlocked lake in the Kyzylkum Desert and a habitat for pelicans, swans, herons and bird species listed in Uzbekistan’s Red Book. The lake’s abundance of fish supports a fishing season and good catches. Visitors can also take part in ethnographic excursions to yurt camps on its shores. Nature watching, fishing and gaining insights into life in yurts can therefore be considered as different interests for a stay.

Water-Based Activities and Excursions

Aydarkul is part of water-tourism routes. Another option is the Tudakul Reservoir, which has a recreation area for sunbathing, swimming and fishing. Tudakul is an oasis in the desert in Navoiy Province; its water is highly saline and partly mineralised. If water is important to your trip, you can take these specific offerings into account when choosing your destinations.

In Nurata District, the Sentob ecotourism route and recreation area offer walks through the foothills and visits to Aydarkul. In Sentob, tourists can also go horseback riding, walk in the surrounding area and hike in the mountains. These activities appeal to different preferences, from a horseback ride to mountain hikes. The route and the activities listed offer various ideas for planning your days.

History and Architecture

Rabat-i Malik is a reminder of the history of trading caravans: from the 13th century until the beginning of the 18th century, the site served as a caravanserai. Remains of an 11th-century palace have also survived. The preserved entrance portal is known locally as the “Gates of Bukhara”. Sardoba Rabati Malik was built in the 11th century to supply the caravanserai of the same name; its water reservoir is 13 metres deep.

The Toshmajid complex, built in the 16th century, stands in the village of Vangozi in Kyzyltepa District. It comprises a mosque, a minaret, a madrasa, a bathhouse and an old cemetery. The complex’s tower was built between 1583 and 1586. Art and history scholars believe that Toshmajid was an important Sufi centre in the 16th century. Its various components make the complex a destination for visitors interested in architecture and religious history.

The Deggaron Mosque is located in Khazar, in Karman District. It is considered an architectural masterpiece and is thought to date to the late 11th or possibly early 12th century. Its central dome is supported by four pillars; its architectural style is considered more typical of pre-Islamic buildings. The architectural and historical complex also includes a museum, a khanqah and the mausoleum of Sheikh Mavlono Orif Deggaroni.

The Chashma Complex in the centre of Nurata comprises monuments and is a sacred place where people pray. The Juma Friday Mosque stands above the holy spring. It has forty wooden columns and a 16-metre dome. Nurata thus offers another cultural and historical focus, distinct from the caravanserais and the sites in Vangozi and Khazar.

Cuisine and Leisure in Konimeh

At Konimeh Ecopark, visitors can try Uzbek, Kazakh and Karakalpak cuisine, as well as fresh camel’s milk, shubat. The ecopark has a musical fountain, rides for children, a sports field and an amphitheatre for cultural leisure activities. Food, exercise and cultural leisure offer different ways to spend time there; which ones you include depends on your interests.

When looking for a holiday rental in Navoiy Province, you can use your main travel interests and the destinations listed here as a guide. Those who mainly want to explore historic architecture have different specific places to visit from those who want to focus on birdlife, water or activities in Sentob. For further orientation, you can also find Nurata District and Taldy.

More destinations: Navoiy Province, Khorezm, Jizzakh Province, Samarkand Province, Bukhara, Qashqadaryo Province.

For the main travel overview: Uzbekistan.