Berdakh State Museum of the History of Karakalpak Literature

The Berdakh State Museum of the History of Karakalpak Literature is a museum in the city of Nukus, Republic of Uzbekistan, dedicated to the history, ethnography and culture of the Karakalpaks, named after the founder of the modern Karakalpak literary language, the poet of the Karakalpak people Berdakh (Berdimuroda). It was founded in 1998 at the Karakalpak State University.

It was established at the Berdakh Karakalpak State University in accordance with the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the wide celebration of the 170th anniversary of the birth of the Karakalpak thinker and poet Berdakh (Berdimurod) Kargabay oglu" dated May 20, 1998 in the city of Nukus.

In 1998, a three-storey building with one large and six small domes was built specifically for the museum, with a total area of 1.26 m2. The author of the project was a well-known architect in the republic, winner of the Berdakh State Prize Orynbai Toreniyazov.

The official opening of the museum took place on March 1, 2002.

On April 13, 2021, the museum was renamed the Berdakh State Museum of the History of Karakalpak Literature.

The main purpose of the exhibition is to show samples of written literature reflecting the way of life of the Karakalpak people from ancient times to the present day, folk Karakalpak literature, folklore, handwritten heritage, classical Karakalpak literature and works of representatives of Karakalpak literature of the XX and XXI centuries.

Museum Collection

The foundation of the museum's collection consists of manuscripts in Arabic, Persian-Tajik, Turkish and Old Karakalpak languages, printed books, as well as books used in madrasas. In addition, the museum presents documents about representatives of classical Karakalpak literature, samples of their work, objects from the period of the poet Berdakh's life. There are also objects telling about the past of the Karakalpak people, samples of national costumes, photographs showing the development of Karakalpak literature in the XIX-XXI centuries, relations with neighboring peoples, photographs and portraits of historical figures, scientific works.

To date, the museum's collection includes more than 10,000 items from all regions of the republic.

The museum has two departments: the department of museum manuscript heritage and the department of Karakalpak literature of the 19th century.