Ancient Khiva – Oasis in Khorezm

Ancient Khiva – Oasis in Khorezm

In Uzbekistan, not far from Urgench, there s a town of Khiva more that 2,5 thousand years old. It is considered that the town grew around the draw-well Kheivak with its amazingly tasty water. Once Khiva was an important point on a trade route connecting the East and the West: the travelers stayed in this oasis in the middle of the desert with great pleasure. Khiva was also one of the towns of the ancient state of Khorezm; later it was conquered by Mongols and Tatars as well as Tamerlan, but truly blossomed in the XVII century when it became the capital of Khanate of Khiva.

The most famous ruler of Khiva, Muhamad Rahim I, started large-scale constructions in the city then. Every Khan after Mahamad also saw leaving some masterpiece after himself as his duty – that is how Khiva became, perhaps, the most famous for its architecture in Central Asia.

The main sights of Khiva are grouped within the walls of Ichan Qala fortress, built at the times of Muhamad Rahim. The town inside the fortress seems medieval, even though it was mostly built in the XIX century. There are several gates in the town, at which public transport stops. The streets of Ichan Qala are for pedestreans, there are no cars there.

One of the main streets of Ichan Qala:


Ichan Qala is well-known for its Djuma (Juma) mosque with 213 skillfully carved columns (15 of them are the ancient ones), known from the X century at least. 5000 people could pray here simultaneously.


There is a historical museum not far from the mosque, largely dedicated to Khorezm scholars Al-Biruni and Al-Khorezmi.