Imagine this: you stand on the crest of an ancient clay wall while the wind of the Kyzylkum Desert gently brushes your face. Below you, as far as the eye can see, stretch the ruins of fortresses that seem to have grown straight out of the sand. The sun is just rising above the horizon, painting everything in soft pink-and-gold hues. There is not a single tourist in sight. Only you, your private archaeologist-guide, and a silence that holds the voices of 2,500 years of history. This is not an ordinary excursion. This is Ellik-Kala — “Fifty Fortresses” — the very heart of ancient Khorezm, where Xanaka brings only its guests at dawn, when the world is still asleep and the past is just waking up.

Khorezm is one of the most mysterious and ancient kingdoms of Central Asia. Its history began long before the Arabs, the Mongols, or even the great Timurids appeared here. From the 6th century BC, the land along the lower reaches of the Amu Darya was an oasis of civilization: fertile fields, powerful fortresses, a unique culture, and rulers known as Khorezmshahs. Dynasties reigned here, minted their own coins, created frescoes worthy of comparison with India’s Ajanta, and kept chronicles in the Khorezmian language. Time and conquerors erased most of the traces. All that remains are ruins — and it is these ruins that Xanaka opens up for you.

From the Achaemenids to Independence: The Birth of the Khorezmian Kingdom

The history of Khorezm goes back to the 6th century BC. At that time these lands became part of the vast Achaemenid Empire of the Persian king Cyrus the Great. Khorezm turned into one of the satrapies — provinces — known as “Khvarizm.” The Persians valued it for its fertility and its strategic position on the Silk Road: caravans from China, India, and the Eurasian steppes converged here.

After the collapse of the Achaemenid Empire in the 4th century BC (following the campaigns of Alexander the Great), Khorezm gained independence. According to some sources, the Macedonian king even founded one of his cities here, although there is little concrete evidence. By the 3rd–2nd centuries BC the Khorezmians already had their own statehood: advanced irrigation-based agriculture, powerful fortifications, and their own script based on the Aramaic alphabet.

It was during this period that the first fortresses were built — the ones that would later form the Ellik-Kala complex. They protected the oasis from nomads and ensured control over the waters of the Amu Darya. Khorezm became the “Egypt of Central Asia” — a land of canals, castles, and flourishing culture. By the 1st century AD a powerful kingdom had formed here, ruled by its own dynasty, which later became known as the Afrighids.

The Afrighid Dynasty: 700 Years of Khorezmshahs

In 305 AD the Afrighid dynasty came to power — one of the longest-lived in the history of Central Asia. Its founder, Afrig (or Vazamar), took the title “Khorezmshah” — “King of Khorezm.” This dynasty ruled for nearly seven centuries — until 995 AD. The Khorezmshahs were more than mere rulers: they combined the traits of Iranian kings and steppe chieftains. On their coins they were depicted with winged-symbol crowns, bows, and emblems of power that recalled the mythical Siyavush — the legendary founder of the dynasty.

In different periods the capitals were Kyat (modern Biruni) and Toprak-Kala. It was here, in Toprak-Kala, that archaeologists discovered the residence of the Khorezmshahs. The rulers minted silver coins bearing portraits of kings and inscriptions in the Khorezmian language. These coins are one of the main sources of knowledge about the dynasty. They show the evolution of titles, alliances with neighbors (the Kushans and Sasanians), and even the influence of Zoroastrianism.

The Afrighids created a unique system of fortifications. The fortresses were built of adobe bricks — massive blocks measuring 40 × 40 × 12 cm. Each fortress was not simply a fort but a miniature city: with palaces, temples, residential quarters, and warehouses. Ellik-Kala is not fifty separate sites but an entire network of more than 300 fortifications (according to modern counts), many of which date back to the 1st–6th centuries AD. They protected the fertile delta of the Amu Darya from raids and controlled the trade routes.

Ellik-Kala: Shield and Soul of the Ancient Kingdom

Ellik-Kala literally translates as “Fifty Fortresses.” This area in modern Karakalpakstan (near the town of Buston) is a true archaeological reserve. Here stand Ayaz-Kala (three fortresses on the hills), Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala, Chilpik, Janbas-Kala, and dozens of others. They rise out of the desert like silent guardians of the past. Many fortresses had double walls, towers, and moats — protection against siege engines and nomads.

Why so many fortifications? Khorezm was rich but vulnerable. The Amu Darya frequently changed its course, creating new oases and leaving old ones without water. The fortresses provided defense and irrigation management. Each one tells its own story — from ancient times to the early Middle Ages. Archaeologists led by Sergei Pavlovich Tolstov in the 1930s–1950s uncovered an entire civilization here. Tolstov called Khorezm “the land of a thousand fortresses” — and Ellik-Kala became its calling card.

Toprak-Kala: Treasury of Little-Known Discoveries

The most famous and best-studied fortress in the complex is Toprak-Kala (“Clay Fortress”). It was not merely a fort but the royal residence of the 1st–6th centuries AD. The area of the settlement exceeds 120 hectares. In the north-western corner rose the palace-citadel: 150 rooms, including ceremonial halls, temples, and living quarters.

The main wonder is the frescoes and sculptures. In the “Hall of Kings” (approximately 280 m²) stood 23 life-size (or larger) clay statues of the Khorezmshahs along the walls. Each wore a crown exactly like those on the coins. The statues were polychrome — bright colors, detailed clothing, weapons. Unfortunately many were damaged by time, but the surviving fragments amaze with their craftsmanship. These are not simple portraits — they are images of god-kings uniting earthly power and divine origin.

Another masterpiece is the “Hall of Dancing Masks” and the Temple of Anahita. On the walls are bas-reliefs and frescoes showing dancing figures: men and women in masks, captured in dynamic poses. The style echoes Hellenistic art and even the frescoes of Ajanta in India. Here too is the Temple of Fire (the Zoroastrian cult) and the “Hall of Warriors” with battle scenes. The frescoes were painted with mineral pigments on wet plaster — a technique that preserved the colors for centuries.

Little-known finds make Toprak-Kala truly unique. In the 1940s–1950s archaeologists discovered 116 documents on wooden tablets and leather scrolls — the ancient Khorezmian script. These are administrative records, economic documents, and letters. They speak of taxes, trade in silk, amber, and even coral. Also found were coins depicting a horseman-king (Siyavush), terracotta figurines, beads with Christian symbols (Khorezm had contacts with early Christians), and even the remains of workshops producing bows.

These artifacts are kept in the museums of Nukus and Tashkent, but Xanaka organizes private visits with archaeologists who show copies and tell stories that never appear in ordinary guidebooks.

Resistance to Conquerors: Arabs, Mongols, and the Spirit of Khorezm

In the 8th century Khorezm faced Arab conquest. In 712 AD the commander Qutayba ibn Muslim captured the country. The Khorezmshah recognized the authority of the Caliphate but paid an enormous tribute. The Arabs burned the ancient chronicles — much knowledge of the pre-Islamic period was lost forever. Yet the Khorezmians preserved their culture: Islam here blended with Zoroastrianism, and the Khorezmshahs continued to rule as vassals.

Later, in the 12th–13th centuries, the title of Khorezmshah was revived by a new dynasty (the Anushteginids). The Empire of the Khorezmshahs became vast — from Iran to Central Asia. But in 1219–1221 Genghis Khan arrived. Muhammad II Khorezmshah failed to unite his army, and the Mongols took the cities one by one. Gurganj (the capital) fell after a brutal siege. The son of Muhammad — Jalal ad-Din Manguberdi — resisted for another ten years in India and Asia Minor, but the empire collapsed.

Ellik-Kala survived these storms. The fortresses stood empty, but the spirit of the Khorezmians — their resilience, their love of the land and water — remained alive in popular memory.

Why Only with Xanaka: Dawn at Ellik-Kala

Ordinary groups arrive here during the day, in the heat, in crowds. Xanaka does it differently: closed groups of 6–10 people, off-road vehicles, an overnight stay in a yurt camp near Ayaz-Kala, and a departure at sunrise. You walk through Toprak-Kala with your personal archaeologist-guide, touch the history of the ancient fortresses, listen to legends around the campfire, and photograph the sun rising over the fortresses. No queues. Only you and 2,500 years of history.

Imagine: pre-dawn Bukhara, a light mist hovering above Lyabi-Hauz, and you standing beside a modest grey dahma in the complex of Bahauddin Naqshband Complex. There are no crowds of pilgrims, no guides with microphones. Only you, your private spiritual mentor — a sheikh — and the wind that seems to whisper the names of the Seven Pirs, the “holy masters” of Bukhara.

Here, where the great Sufi master was born more than 700 years ago, time appears to stop. This is not a museum visit. It is a living encounter with the mystical heart of the Silk Road. And such an experience is possible only with Xanaka.

Sufism in Uzbekistan is more than a religious movement. It is a philosophy that helped Islam take root peacefully in the heart of Central Asia by blending with ancient Zoroastrian, shamanic, and Turkic traditions. Dervishes and saints did more than preach — they shaped history. They reconciled peoples, inspired rulers, preserved knowledge during times of war, and created entire spiritual orders (tariqas) that still influence the culture of the region today. Xanaka is the only tour operator organizing fully curated private Sufi journeys where visitors do not merely see mausoleums but experience the living tradition.

Sufism emerged in the 8th–9th centuries in Iraq and Syria as a protest against the luxury of the caliphate. The earliest Sufis (from the Arabic suf — “wool,” symbolizing ascetic clothing) sought direct and personal communion with God through dhikr, the continuous remembrance of Allah.

Along the Silk Road, the teachings spread rapidly eastward. By the 10th–11th centuries, the first khanaqahs — Sufi lodges — had appeared in Transoxiana (modern Uzbekistan).

By the 12th century three major Sufi orders defined the spiritual landscape of the region:

Founded in Khorezm by Najmuddin Kubra (1145–1221). His disciples were known for ecstatic spiritual practices and deep mysticism. Kubra himself died during the Mongol invasion of Khwarezmia, yet his order survived and influenced Sufi traditions across Central Asia.

A Turkic Sufi order established by Ahmad Yasawi (1093–1166) in Turkestan. Yasawi introduced loud dhikr and vernacular forms of spirituality, making Sufi teachings accessible to ordinary people.

The most influential order in Uzbekistan. Its founder, Bahauddin Naqshband (1318–1389), was born in the village of Qasri Orifon. He taught the practice of silent dhikr (khafi) — the remembrance of God within the heart — combined with honest work and service to society. Naqshband rejected outward displays of asceticism and ecstatic rituals, emphasizing that the path to God lies within everyday life.

These Sufi orders played not only spiritual but also political roles. Sufi sheikhs advised rulers such as Timur and Ulugh Beg, mediated conflicts between tribes, preserved libraries during wartime, and helped spread Islam among nomadic peoples.

A special place in Uzbek Sufism belongs to the Seven Pirs (Khajagan-Naqshbandiya) — seven revered spiritual masters whose mausoleums form a symbolic path of spiritual perfection around Bukhara.

They include:

The Bahauddin Naqshband Complex is the main shrine. Quiet dhikr gatherings are still held here. Xanaka organizes private evening visits when guests can meditate near the sacred tomb and listen to stories told by descendants of Sufi lineages — moments inaccessible to ordinary tourists.

In Khorezm, the Kubrawiya order flourished. The mausoleum of Najmuddin Kubra in Konye-Urgench remains a powerful spiritual site where Sufis still gather.

Meanwhile, the influence of Yasawiya traditions can be found in the Fergana Valley and Samarkand, where loud dhikr ceremonies accompanied by Karnay shaped elements of local culture.

A little-known fact: Sufism in Uzbekistan preserved pre-Islamic elements. Zoroastrian motifs appear in the ornamentation of khanaqahs; shamanic practices survive in healing rituals; even early Christian symbols can be found in certain manuscripts. Sufi masters skillfully synthesized traditions, making Islam deeply rooted in local culture.

Most guidebooks highlight only the famous monuments — the complex of Bahauddin Naqshband Complex, the mausoleum of Ahmad Yasawi in Turkestan, or the shrine of Qutham ibn Abbas at Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand.

But the true treasures lie behind closed doors.

Xanaka works with hereditary sheikhs and local spiritual mentors to offer:

These experiences transform the way visitors perceive Uzbekistan. You are not simply a tourist — you become part of a living tradition that has endured for more than 800 years.

In the 21st century, Sufism is experiencing a revival. Between 2017 and 2020, international gatherings of Naqshbandi followers from 18 countries were held in Bukhara, as Uzbekistan positions itself as a center of the “Spiritual Silk Road.”

However, mass tourism often erodes the atmosphere of sacred sites.

Xanaka addresses this by organizing small groups of 6–10 people, guided by historian-scholars trained in Sufi studies. Guests stay in comfortable boutique hotels near sacred locations and travel during the quieter seasons, allowing a deeper and more authentic immersion into the spiritual heritage of Uzbekistan.