Nukus, which is the capital of the Karakalpackie Republic, is not an attractive city. However, it has two advantages - it lies on the way to the Aral Lake and has one of the largest collections of Russian and Soviet paintings in Asia. Due to the renovation, I was not able to see artifacts from the excavations of ancient Khorez, but on the way back I had the opportunity to admire the remains of Gyaur Kala, a Chorezma fortress built in the 4th century B.C.