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How the disappearing Aral Sea is changing life in Karakalpakia
The drying up of the Aral Sea is considered one of the biggest environmental disasters of modern times. The rapid disappearance of the waters of this lake has stimulated the efforts of the local population to preserve the environment, which in turn has aroused the interest of eco-tourists in Karakalpakstan.
Located in the heart of Central Asia, Karakalpakstan is a landlocked autonomous republic within Uzbekistan, bordering Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
It is the home of the indigenous Karakalpak people.
Until recently, this desert region was dominated by the Aral Sea - a huge lake in the interior of the country that has shrunk so much that it is now a fraction of its original size.
The drying up of the Aral Sea is considered one of the biggest environmental disasters of modern times.
The rapid disappearance of the waters of this lake has stimulated the efforts of the local population to preserve the environment, which in turn has aroused the interest of eco-tourists in Karakalpakia.
At the same time, visitors began to take an interest in the cultural treasures of this region.
"The fortresses in the Khorezmi desert and the Mizdakhan necropolis are among the most impressive archaeological sites in all of Central Asia.
"Then, the Savitski Art Museum in the capital Nukus is rightly called the 'Louvre of the steppes'," says Sophie Ibbotson, co-author Broad tourist guide for Karakalpakja, which is also the first guide for a country in the region.
In addition to the items of Karakalpak archaeological and ethnographic objects, the heritage museum and the second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art in the world.
"For the intrepid traveller, this country offers extraordinary variety, both in terms of scenery and experiences," adds Ibotson.
Karakalpakia was once part of the ancient Kharezma region, where people built large adobe fortresses along the border to protect themselves from nomadic raids.
More than 50 of their desert castles have been preserved, including Ajaz Kala.
It was built in the fourth century BC and consists of two fortresses on top of the hill and a garrison at the foot.
One of the notable discoveries was the remains of an ancient fire temple, believed to have been an altar to the fire-worshipping Zoroastrians.
Zoroastrianism was the religion of Karakalpakia until the arrival of the Arabs in the eighth century.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, many Karakalpak families lived in yurts.
These are portable tents that were ideal for seasonal migrations of the population along with livestock.
The skeleton of the yurt is made of light wood, and it is covered with animal skins and wool, which is believed to protect against desert scorpions.
Azamat Turekeev, who lives in the city of Chimbay, is a third-generation yurt manufacturer.
He makes about 18 yurts a year, the largest of which costs 3.500 US dollars (about 3.200 euros).
He sells them to Kazakh and Kyrgyz nomads, and now mostly to tourist camps with yurts.
"The growing popularity of adventure tourism is helping to maintain this ancient tradition," he says.
The Mizdakhan Necropolis, which dates back to the fourth century BC, is one of the oldest and most sacred places in Karakalpakstan.
According to tradition, Adam was buried here.
In the Islamic creation myth, Adam was the first man, the first prophet of Islam and the first Muslim.
The necropolis was part of a larger city that was inhabited for 1.700 years until it was destroyed by Tamerlane, the great conqueror of Central Asia.
After the destruction, this place continued to attract pilgrims who built mausoleums and small mosques, some of which have been largely preserved since the 11th century.
Kenjes Ilyasov has been an imam in the Mizdakhan for more than 20 years and often receives worshipers in the crypt of Shamun Nabijui, who was an early follower of the Prophet Muhammad and whose 33-meter-long sarcophagus is said to grow by 2,5 centimeters every year.
All Muslims visiting the Mizdakhan Necropolis should pass by the crumbling mausoleum, as bricks fall out of the building every year.
It is known as the "doomsday clock".
"When the last brick falls, it will mean the end of the world.
"So, all good Muslims should put a brick back in the building, just in case," says Ilyasov.
Sulukan Kuptiljeva sells smoked fish at the main market in Nukus.
She has been smoking fish for almost 25 years, and learned this skill from her grandparents.
Its specialty is smoked carp, which is traditionally served fried with a glass of beer or vodka.
"I keep the fish salted for a week, and for smoking I use fir wood, which gives it a deep, woody taste.
"In the 1950s and 1960s, fish were brought from the Aral Sea, but now there is no fish there, everyone has to breed catfish and carp in their private lakes," she explains.
One of the most significant works in the permanent exhibition of the Savitski Art Museum is a sculpture by the famous local artist J Kutimuratov.
It shows the most important river of Karakalpakia, the Amu Darya, which flows into the remains of the Aral Sea, and which was known in antiquity under the name Oxus.
"This is the first of three works of art.
"Each next one is smaller than the previous one, and together they represent rapidly disappearing waters, as well as the diminishing power of this great symbol of life and fertility," says curator Sarbinaz Majitova.
The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest in the world.
It covered 68.000 square kilometers, which is the area of Sri Lanka.
In 50 years, it has shrunk to only 10 percent of its original area.
The draining of the lake began in the 1960s when the Amu Darya and Sir Darya rivers were diverted to irrigate cotton fields.
As these two rivers ran out of water, the Aral Sea began to disappear, which led to a mass extinction of flora and fauna, the decimation of fishing communities and the creation of the youngest desert in the world, the Aralkuma.
The once rich fishing town of Mojnak is now a landlocked port, and fishing boats are stranded in the desert.
Despite the extensive damage done to the local ecosystem, Ibbotson believes there is reason for hope.
"The Aral Sea is proof of nature's resilience.
"There is still some water in the lake, which attracts native and migratory bird species, such as flamingos.
"The population of saiga, a critically endangered species of antelope, is recovering, and the animal and plant life is adapting to the new conditions. It's encouraging," she says.
In the village of Kubla Ustjurt, Dushenbai Usenov and his wife Zarifa Kudaibergenova used to live by fishing, and now they sell fermented camel milk (shubat) to locals and tourists.
Pungent in taste and slightly fizzy, shubat is a popular drink throughout Central Asia and is believed to aid digestion.
"The reduction of the Aral Sea has a direct impact on the lives of people who live near it.
"But it's also a warning to the rest of the world about what could happen if we all don't take more care of it," Kudaibergenova says.
(c) 2024, Vijesti
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