DJAMPIK KALA

Of this ^9th-14th century fortified city, imposing sections of wall and part of the dekhan's apartments remain. Like immense sculptures, they stand on the vast banks of the Amou Daria, overlooking the desert on one side and the Bala Tugaï forest on the other. A cross-section shows how the walls were built, using earth and bricks with layers of straw in between. A solidity that didn't save the citadel from destruction, but allows its ruins to still stand seven centuries later.

If you visit in August, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the citadel's sole occupants: eagles nesting between wooden poles protruding from the walls. The primary purpose of these poles was to hang the condemned. A truly superb desolation, which inspired sculptor Joldasbek Koumimouratov, Karakalpakia's most famous artist and Savitsky's companion, who wanted to turn it into a city of artists. Dreams are what they are, and the ruins remained abandoned. If you come across someone in the fortress, ask them about the black rock outcropping behind the walls in the center of the citadel. According to knowledgeable observers, it grows from year to year to a thickness of approximately five fingers apart. One of the mysteries of the desert... Be that as it may, Djampik kala is certainly the most beautiful of all the citadels, and well worth the detour to admire it.