The British Uzbek Society

Founded in 1876, this is one of Central Asia’s largest and oldest collections of art and archaeological artefacts. Walking through the museum is like being transported in a time capsule across the entire span of human habitation in the region, from prehistory up to modern times. Exhibits include wonderful examples of ancient rock carvings, beautifully wrought pieces of medieval jewellery, coins of various origins and dates that bear witness to the long history of global trade in this region, elegant pottery utensils, fine textiles and much more besides.

This, arguably Uzbekistan’s most famous museum, is of world-class significance. It is located just outside Samarkand, by the ancient city of Marakanda – one of the largest archaeological sites in the world. When Marakanda was occupied by Alexander the Great in 329 BC it was already a large and prosperous city, one of the great trading centres on the Silk Roads. Marakanda continued to thrive in the following centuries, surviving the rise and fall of empires as well as the influx of new religions, notably Islam. In AD 1220, however, it was laid waste by invading Mongol armies – described by the contemporary Arab historian Ibn Al-Athir (1160-1233) as ‘this terrible calamity, the like of which the days and nights had never before brought forth, engulfed the whole of creation and in particular, the Muslims’. Gradually, a new city, Samarkand, sprang up a few miles away and Marakanda was almost forgotten. It was only when systematic archaeological excavations were started in the early 20th century that the importance of the site was recognised. Work on the site has continued, at intervals, since then. The Afrosiab Museum is the depository for a vast collection of unique objects from the ancient history of Marakanda. Among the museum’s greatest treasures are the wall paintings of Sogdian court life – official ceremonies, processions of foreign envoys bearing gifts and other such scenes – that are depicted with astonishing vigour and immediacy?

Located in the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan, in the far west of Uzbekistan, close to the Aral Sea, this is one of the most extraordinary museums in Uzbekistan, both for the history of its formation and for the quality of its collections. It was established in 1966, largely on the initiative of Igor Savitsky, a Russian painter and art collector. He first visited Karakalpakstan in 1950, as draftsman on a research expedition. He was captivated by the culture and people of Karakalpakstan and remained there almost continuously until his death in 1984. During these years he assembled an unrivalled collections of Karakalpak ethnographic items (costumes, embroideries, jewellery and so on) and archaeological objects. At the same time, he drew on his connections in the art world in Russia and other parts of the Soviet Union to amass a major collection of avant-garde paintings – a style that was very definitely out of favour with the state authorities. However, Savitsky had established bonds of trust and friendship with officials in Karakalpakstan and his acquisitions were largely paid for by IOUs drawn on the Communist Party of Karakalpakstan. He was passionate about art, but had little interest in financial affairs: quite simply, he bought the best available works. When he died, he left many outstanding IOUs which in due course were honoured by the local Communist Party. Unwittingly, it turned out to have been a good investment since the collection is now priceless, recognised as being of major international significance. A few years ago it became the target of a vicious ‘fake news’ campaign when foreign journalists (many of whom had never been to the region) began to publish stories that the collection was in a dangerous state of neglect – to the surprise and dismay of regular visitors and foreign partners engaged in collaborative projects who were able to attest that on the contrary, it was in good condition and well curated. A new wing, with the most modern up-to-date storage and conservation facilities is due to open in late 2017. There are no restrictions on travel to Karakalpakstan so interested visitors are free to make the journey to Nukus to see this unique collection for themselves.