Karmana, known in medieval times as Kermine, is an ancient town a few kilometres north of Navoi that was once one of the significant cities of Central Asia. The 10th-century chronicler Narshakhi described it as a birthplace of scholars and poets. Today it is a quiet settlement, but it retains several Islamic monuments of genuine importance.
The Qosim Sheikh complex is the most visited — a mausoleum and mosque complex from the medieval period, with a well-proportioned dome and some surviving tilework. The nearby Mausoleum of Sheikh Khoja Khisrav, a 14th-century saint, is a smaller pilgrimage site. The town's regional museum, established in 1992, covers the full span of Karmana's history, from its Silk Road peak to the Soviet era. The Polish military cemetery — a legacy of the Anders' Army's passage in 1942 — is a moving and unexpected reminder of how global the Second World War actually was.