Approaching from the city of Nukus, Kyzyl Kala stands as the first of three most impressive fortresses, followed by Toprak Kala and Ayaz Kala. Kyzyl Kala is located on the plain, 27 kilometers north of the city of Biruni in the Republic of Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan), just 1.3 kilometers from the Toprak Kala complex - the capital of ancient Khorezm.
The fortress was first discovered in 1938 by archaeologists led by S. P. Tolstov during the Khorezm Archaeological and Ethnographic Expedition. The name of the fortress is derived from the red color of its walls.
The fortress was built during the late antiquity period, between the 1st and 4th centuries AD, and served as a key hub for caravan routes through the Sultan Uizdag Mountain range. It was abandoned and later restored in the 12th and 13th centuries, just prior to the Mongol invasion. Kyzyl Kala has a nearly rectangular shape, with overall dimensions of 65 х 63 meters. It is equipped with towers on both sides and has walls up to 16 meters high, featuring arrow slits. The entrance can be approached from the southeast via a sloped passage.
Some scholars suggest that the fortress was used as a garrison barracks for troops or as fortified noble residences typical of early medieval Khorezm.
According to some sources, Kyzyl Kala was built as a defensive fortress, forming part of the fortification system of the ancient settlement of Toprak Kala. The walls of Kyzyl Kala were so robust that their approximate thickness reached up to 8 meters.
Visitors entering the fortress immediately find themselves on the second floor, where the interior has been well-preserved. Curious local residents would often sneak into the underground chambers of the fortress in hopes of discovering gold. However, they most often encountered snakes sheltering there from the scorching sun. This led to a legend suggesting that treasures were indeed hidden in these chambers, but no one could retrieve them, as they were guarded by a massive serpent or a demon.
From the top of the fortress, a magnificent view unfolds: on one side, the meandering river winds its way through the landscape, accompanied by a network of irrigation canals, while on the other horizon stretches the endless desert, offering a glimpse of the ancient fortress of Toprak Kala.
The fortress of Kyzyl Kala is considered a prime example of the last period in the architectural history of ancient Khorezm, adorned with fluted massive columns from the Afrigid period. As a result of excavations conducted in 1981 in the vicinity of the Kyzyl Kala monument, a fragment of wall painting made of plaster, dated to the 1st to 4th centuries AD, was discovered.
Unfortunately, the edges of the fresco are worn, and only its central part has been preserved. This archaeological find is housed in the collection of the State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan named after I.V. Savitsky.