Not far from Nukus, on three picturesque hills, there is an impressive archaeological site, the ancient settlement of Mizdakhan, founded more than 2 000 years ago. Within the area, which is about 200 hectares, two magnificent fortresses were built in the 9th-12th centuries, a necropolis, with the last burial dating back to the 14th century, and many other equally exciting places.

The Mizdakhan settlement, unlike other archaeological sites in Uzbekistan, is perfectly preserved, even though it was severely damaged in 1338 by the soldiers of Timur. Here, you can see beautiful ruins of ancient buildings and some almost entirely intact houses, as well as restored and reconstructed structures.

Tourists are mostly attracted to Mizdakhan by the abundance of legends associated with this place. For example, there is a world clock here: a building that loses one brick of its masonry every year. And, according to a legend, when this house collapses, the end of the world will come. Besides, the legend prohibits the restoration of this ancient monument: an attempt to preserve peace may lead to a greater disaster.

Here, almost everything is connected with the number seven, which is sacred for Muslims. The seven domes, used to decorate the city, were built in honor of the seven beautiful daughters of the reigning khan. And near one of the ancient monuments, there are unmarked graves of seven prophets. They are left without names so that no one could desecrate them.

Of course, an ancient city can’t avoid love tragedies. Many centuries ago, an overseas prince came to Mizdakhan to learn from local architects. And he had the imprudence to fall in love with the ruler’s daughter. The father didn’t want to give the princess as a wife to a stranger. With the prince being very persuasive, the khan promised to consent to the marriage if the prince built the tallest minaret in the city overnight. Together with all the builders and architects, the prince managed to create such a miracle. But the ruler didn’t want to separate with his daughter and threw the prince off the built minaret. The girl was in love with the prince, and she couldn’t live without him, so she also threw herself off the enormous height. The inconsolable father ordered to destroy the building that had brought the tragedy and prohibited to build more towers of such a height in the city.

It is only a small part of the legends and fairy tales told to the guests of Mizdakhan.