Xojeli

Xojeli
City
Central Xojeli
Khalfa Erejep Mausoleum at Mizdahkan
Mazlumxan Mausoleum
Stalinist Univermag building
Xojeli District Hokimiyat
Xojeli is located in Karakalpakstan
Xojeli
Xojeli
Location within Karakalpakstan
Xojeli is located in Uzbekistan
Xojeli
Xojeli
Location within Uzbekistan
Coordinates: 42°24′N 59°27′E / 42.400°N 59.450°E / 42.400; 59.450
Country Uzbekistan
Autonomous RepublicKarakalpakstan
DistrictXojeli district
City AdministrationHokimiyat of Xojeli District
Population
 (2026)
 • Total
83,400
Time zoneUTC+5 (UZT)
Postal index
231300
Area code61

Xojeli is a city in central Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan. It is the administrative centre of the Xojeli District, and its population was around 83,400 people as of 2026.

There has been a settlement at Xojeli since prehistoric times. It is in the Amu Darya river delta and it has several natural hills raised slightly above the flat surface in the south-west. The area surrounding the modern city has been occupied since at least the construction of settlements in the Neolithic, with the structures at the Gyaur Kala fortress, on one of the hills, dating to around 4000 BCE. It is a part of the Mizdahkan archeological complex, with several Islamic Mausoleums on the hill next to the fortress. Before the Early Muslim conquests in the 8th century, Mizdahkan was a vital Zoroastrian city. The Mausoleums that remain were mainly built in the Middle Ages, when it was one of the largest cities of Khwarazm.

During its time in the USSR, the city underwent rapid industrialization and increase in agriculture and production of cotton.

Today, Xojeli is a populous city near Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan. Its bazaar serves as an alternative market for daily products, to those of Nukus. After the lowering of restrictions on entry to Uzbekistan, the historic sites in Xojeli have started attracting more tourists.

Etymology

The name Xojeli is made up of two parts: the Karakalpak and Uzbek word xoja, meaning 'owner' or 'master'; likely referring to a family line of "Xoja", and the second part eli, that means 'the land of'. Together they mean lit. 'the land of masters'.

History

A map of the Aral Sea region, with city "Khodjeili" depicted near "fort Nurkus" (1851)

Khivan Khanate

A city in the current location of Xojeli has been established in the 1600s, as a result of migration towards the Aral sea, after Mizdahkan had been desolate since the end of the 14th century. A tribe that migrated to the location of the modern-day city, was likely of the family line of "Xoja"s, giving rise to the current name of the city. During this period Xojeli was a part of the Khivan Khanate, where such tribes had the biggest political power in the region.[citation needed]

During the 17th-18th centuries, the city grew to become one of the biggest in the region of current day central Karakalpakstan, with the construction of canals and development of agriculture, trade, and fishing. Xojeli was considered one of the biggest markets for bread.

During the Khivan campaign of 1873, from 15 to 17 of May, Russian troops faced resistance, but eventually took Xojeli, in what was an attempt of Khivans to stop them before reaching the city. After the full occupation of the Khivan Khanate, of which Xojeli was a part of, in 1873 it became a protectorate. Initially, this had little effect on the life inside the Khanate, however after the introduction of larger taxes there were revolts in the region.

Modern history

Following the October Revolution, the anti-monarchist tribesmen joined Bolsheviks to dispose of the Khan, and in the February of 1920 Xojeli became a city in the Turkestan ASSR.

In 1927 Xojeli and the surrounding area were given a status of a district in the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast, later elevated into Karakalpak ASSR. During the Soviet era, the city was greatly expanded, including the construction of a Compressor station, Textile factory, Brick and Asphalt factory, and a Meat processing plant [ru] in the district.[citation needed]

Geography and climate

Situated south of the Amu Darya river, Xojeli itself is generally flat, apart from the three mounds south-west of the city:

As with most of Central Asia, Xojeli has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk), with both dry, hot summers and cold winters. The nearest Uzhydromet [uz] weather station is in Taqiyatas, around 12 km from the centre of Xojeli, but there is an agro-meteorological measuring station in Xojeli.

Education

There are many public schools in Xojeli, while vocational institutions include Xojeli Transport and Pedagogical Colleges.

Transport

Xojeli is a city that lies on the key route for journeys by road and rail from western Kazakhstan. The A380 International Highway runs around the city, connecting Uzbekistan and the Kazakhstan border in the north-west, as well as the A381 International Highway, that extends from the city to the Turkmenistan border.

Xojeli has a railway station operated by Uzbek Railways on the line from Atyrau, Kazakhstan to Tashkent.

There are marshrutkas that operate on routes within the city and the district. While it lacks public transport, there are buses to and from Nukus's southern Auto station [ru].

There is an inactive aerodrome, sometimes referred to as 'South Nukus', located between Xojeli and Taqiyatas. It lies 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) south-east of the Xojeli city center.

Notable people

Notes

  1. ↑ Karakalpak: Xojeli, Хожели [xoˈʒeli]; Uzbek: Xoʻjayli, Хўжайли

References

  1. ↑ "Hududlar bo'yicha shahar va qishloq aholisi soni" [Urban and rural population by district]. qrstat.uz (in Uzbek). Karakalpakstan Republic department of statistics. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
  2. ↑ "Classification system of territorial units of the Republic of Uzbekistan" (in Uzbek and Russian). The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on statistics. July 2020.
  3. ↑ "Hududlar bo'yicha shahar va qishloq aholisi soni" [Urban and rural population by district]. qrstat.uz (in Uzbek). Karakalpakstan Republic department of statistics. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
  4. ↑ "Mizdakhan, Nukus, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan". uzbek-travel.com. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
  5. ↑ "xoʻja in Uzbek". Wikitionary. Retrieved 2026-09-18.
  6. 1 2 Xojaniazov, G; Turdimuratov, E; Kazakbaev, S (1994). Тезисы докладов Научно-Практической конференции «Ходжейли — Древнейший город Республики Каракалпакстан» [Theses of reports at the conference «Xojeli — Most Ancient City of the Republic of Karakalpakstan»] (in Russian). Xojeli.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ↑ Logofet, Dmitry (1913). Исторiя Русской Армiи и Флота [The History of the Russian Army and Navy] (in Russian) (XII ed.). pp. 91–93.
  8. ↑ Becker 2004, p. 178.
  9. ↑ Becker 2004, p. 180.
  10. ↑ Shioya 2014, p. 239.
  11. ↑ Ro'i, Yaacov (2015-07-16). The USSR and the Muslim World: Issues in Domestic and Foreign Policy. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-39976-6.
  12. ↑ Постановления второй сессии Казахского Центрального Исполнительного Комитета шестого созыва [Resolutions of the second session of the sixth Kazakh Central Executive Committee] (in Russian). Kyzylorda. 1928. p. 29.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ↑ "Hokimiyat haqida. Xo'jayli tumani Hokimligi" [About the Administration. Hokimiyat of Xojeli District]. The Government Portal of Uzbekistan (in Uzbek and Kara-Kalpak). Xo'jayli tumani hokimligi(Administration of Xojeli District).
  14. ↑ "Ўзгидрометнинг гидрометеорологик станциялари рўйхати" [Hydrometeorological station list of Uzhydromet]. Uzhydromet. Archived from the original on 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2026-09-18.
  15. ↑ "Agrometeorological data". Meteo monitoring. Uzhydromet. Retrieved 2026-09-18.
  16. ↑ "Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi Vazirlar Mahkamasining qarori - Oʻzbekiston Respublikasining umumiy foydalanishdagi avtomobil yoʻllari roʻyxatini tasdiqlash toʻgʻrisida [Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan - On approval of the list of public roads of the Republic of Uzbekistan]" (in Uzbek). 5 July 2024. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025.
  17. ↑ Uzbekistan Railways timetable