Resort · Forish District
Ukhum Village
A tourist village in the Nuratau mountains
Nature · Forish District
Nurata State Nature Reserve
A reserve in the central Nuratau range (Forish District), at 530–2,169 metres, founded in 1975 to protect wild walnut groves and Severtsov's argali.
Photo: Marat Nadjibaev · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
History
The reserve was established by a decree of 4 December 1975 to preserve the gene pool of wild walnut and to restore Severtsov's argali (Ovis ammon severtzovi), an endemic subspecies listed in the IUCN and Uzbek Red Books. It originally covered 22,537 hectares, was cut to 21,137.5 hectares in 1979 and later gained the Razmas (over 900 hectares) and Hayat (6,000 hectares) tracts. In Soviet times it came under the Forestry Ministry of the Uzbek SSR, and scientists still monitor the argali and walnut groves here.
Nature
The reserve spans altitudes from 530 to 2,169 metres. The highest point of the Nuratau range, Hayotboshi peak (2,169.5 m), lies on the border between Forish District and Navoiy Region. Protected species include Severtsov's argali, the desert monitor, griffon vulture, black stork, golden eagle, short-toed eagle, bearded vulture and Central Asian cobra. Walnut, pistachio, almond, hawthorn and wild apple grow in the gorges, and in spring the slopes bloom with ephemeral flowers.
Visiting
Entry is by permit only. Guesthouses in the villages of Ukhum, Hayot and Asraf arrange nature walks with local guides. The Nuratau mountains are close to the Aydar-Arnasay lakes, so a two- or three-day trip can take in both mountains and lake.
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