Tuproqqala District

Setting and history

Tuproqqala District was created in March 2020 by decisions of the Oliy Majlis from the larger, eastern part of Hazorasp District. It borders Karakalpakstan to the north, Hazorasp to the northwest, Bukhara Region to the southeast and Turkmenistan to the south, forming Khorezm’s far eastern end along the Amu Darya. Its 61,800 residents (2026) make it the least populous district in the region.

The name recalls the ancient earthen forts (tuproq qala) of the Khorezm oasis. Pitnak, the centre, became a town in 1976 under the name Druzhba and was renamed in 1998.

Nature

Desert and riverside tugai woodland cover much of the district, which holds the Khorezm section of the Kyzylkum Nature Reserve and more than 19,500 hectares of the Xorazm National Nature Park, protecting Bukhara deer, goitered gazelle and woodland birds. Entry to the reserve requires a special permit.