A thousand kilometres West of Tashkent, Khiva (Uzbek: Xiva), historical capital of Khwarazm, is the remotest of all Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan.
Even though its buildings are generally more modern than those in Samarkand and Bukhara, only Khiva preserves a complete and unscathed wall. In Khiva, until the beginning of the 20th century, life and architecture still were very traditional.
That’s why it was declated Museum City, and, in a more controversial decision, nearly all dwellers of the old walled city (Ichan Qala) have been evicted and relocated in new neighbourhoods of Khiva to make way more tourist accommodation.
Anyway, in no other city of Uzbekistan as in Khiva will you feel your are in another era, especially at dawn and at night, when tourists who just came for the day leave.
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Arriving in Khiva
Khiva is far away from all other historical cities of Uzbekistan, though it’s on the way to Karakalpakstan (Nukus and the former Aral Sea).
You can arrive in Khiva by train: 6h30 from Bukhara (around 10€, depending on the dates). There are two trains daily leaving Bukhara at 4 am and 12.20 pm. The Khiva – Tashkent train takes 16 hours and costs 30-40 €. Our train arrived over 30 minutes before schedule.
If you want to travel comfortable, it’s totally worth paying extra €2 for first class – the seats are large and comfortable and there is a lot of space. Uzbek railways are being modernised and at least the train we took was not very old, so don’t expect a “Soviet experience”. Locals are friend and it is easy to make friends on the train.
You can’t really buy anything on the stops, but sandwiches, tea and drinks are sold on board, though offer is limited and expensive. It is better to buy something before going to the station, but don’t panic if you don’t.
The train station is 2 km from Ichon Qala, Khiva’s walled city. A taxi will take you there in less than 10 minutes.
Urgench international airport (UGC) is 35 km from Khiva. There are two flights daily to Tashkent (morning and evening). This is a good alternative if you need to go to or from Tashkent, to avoid spending a whole day in a train. Train and flight prices are similar (around €40-50).
Moving around Khiva
Khiva is small – the East and West gates of Ichon Qala are only 400 metres apart. North to South it’s 800 metres.
Ichan Qala es mostly pedestrian and the only way of moving around is on foot. The main East-West avenue is the best reference and most places of interest are around it, like the fortress, Kalta Minor, the Friday Mosque or Palacio Toshhovli. Once you have a grasp of Khiva, the best is to wander and get lost in the streets of this museum city.
A partir de ahí, lo mejor es pasear y perderse en los rincones de esta ciudad-museo.
If you are staying in Urgench and arriving in Khiva by car, you can park by the Walls wall of Ichon Qala, just North of the West Gate, where the ticket office is.
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Where to stay in Khiva
Many tourists – especially those travelling in package trips – stay in Urgench, a modern and uninteresting city 35 km away from Khiva, now the capital of Xorazm province.
However, we really recommend stayin in Khiva. It is certainly more comfortable, but most importantly, Khiva is magical at dawn and in the evening. It’s true that bars and restaurants in Ichon Qala close earlier, but this is Uzbekistan – Urgench is not lively neither, and it’s ugly. You didn’t come here to party, anyway.
The best is to stay in Ichon Qala, where there are many guesthouses and a few boutique hotels. Imagine waking up with this view:
We stayed in Polvonnazir Guest House, a small family guesthouse in the heart of Ichan Qala. Rooms are basic but fine and the breakfast is very good and abundant, the best we had in Uzbekistan.
A short history of Khiva
Khiva was established around 1500 years ago in the Khwarazm region, in the Amu Darya (Oxus) river delta, an oasis between two deserts and the Aral Sea.
In 712 the Abbasid Caliphate conquered Khwarazm, although the region was not really islamicised until some centuries later. In the 11th century the Khwarazmian Empire rose, it got rid of the Caliphate and extended its domains all the way West to the Red Sea, ruling over parts of modern Turkmenistan, Iran y Afganistan. First, the Khwarazmian Empire was a vassal of the Seljuks, but by the end of the 12th c. they were an independent empire.
From this first golden age there is barely anything left in Khiva, but its two most famous men lived during those times – al-Biruni, a polymath, with important works in anthropology and astronomy and al-Jwarizmi the great mathematician, who gave name to the word “algorithm“. Actually, his surname means “from Khwarazm” – or from Khiva itself, as the city was thus called.
In 1219-1221 Genghis Khan’s hordes invaded Khwarazmand replaced the local population of Persian origin with Turkic peoeples. As it was common in Central Asia, a syncretism between Turkic and Persian cultures (Persian was considered the prestige language and culture) ensued.
After a short period of Timurid rule, in 1511 Khwarazm recovered its independence under the Arabshahid dynasty. During the next centuries Khwarazm maintained its independence and became of the most important rivals of Amir Timur. This state is known today as the Khanate of Khiva – actually this how the Russians called it, the Khivans didn’t use this name.
The vast majority of buildings in Khiva today are from this period. It was a prosperous time for Khiva, where an important slave market developed. By the beginning of the 19th c., the Qungrat dynasty substituted the Arabashahids.
Under the Qungrats, several new buildings were erected in Khiva, including a new outer wall (Dishon Qala), allowing further city growth.
Since the 18th century, Russia had its eyes on Khiva. The Russian army suffered several defeats in Khwarazm until the final victory in 1873. Khwarazm lost vast swathes of land and what was left of it became a Russian protectorate, though nominally independent until 1920.
In 1920, the Khwarazm SSR was proclaimed, which incorporated into the Uzbek SSR in 1925.
Khiva was declared museum city during Soviet rule and in 1991 Khiva’s old city became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uzbekistan.
What to see in Khiva
One day and a half is enough to visit Khiva, with no haste, enjoy all its monuments and get lot in its streets. If you are not going to Nukus and the Aral Sea, you can spend another day (or half day) on a trip to the Khwarezm fortress (Elliq Qala), returning to Khiva or staying at a yurt camp in the desert.
Ichan Qala (inner walled city)
- West wall and gate (Ota Darvoza)
- Ko’hna Ark
- Kalta Minor
- Mohammad Amin Khan Madrasah
- Mohammad Rakhim Khan Madrasah
- Friday Mosque (Jo’me masjidi)
- Kutlug Murad Inaq Madrasah
- White Mosque (Oq Masjid)
- Toshhovli Palace
- East Gate or Knights Gate (Polvon Darvoza)
- Islom Xo’ja Madrasah and Minaret
- First Russian school
- Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
- South Gate (Tosh Darvoza)
Ichan Qala
Ichan Qala is really a museum city, you even have to pay 120000 som (around €11) to enter the walls during 2 days. Tickets can be purchased just outside the West Gate, where our walking tour starts.
You can enter the walls for free if your accommodation is in Ichan Qala, but you will buy the ticket anyway, because this gives you access to most monumentos in Ichan Qala (except for one of the best, Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum).
This walking tour covers all important monuments in Khiva, but there are many more tombs, mosques and madrasahs, literally on every corner. That’s why Khiva was declared a museum, and that’s why, apart from visiting all these places, you should just wander and get lost in this town.
Murallas y Puerta Principal (Oeste)
The imposing crenellated walls of Ichan Qala date from the 17th c., but the origins of the first walled precinct, following the same lines can be traced in the 10th c. The whole perimiter of the walls of Ichan Qala is preserved, and they are up to 10 metres tall.
The West wall is the busiest because the ticket office and a parking lot are here. It makes sense, because the West Gate is actually the Main Gate (Ota Darvoza).
The Main Gate was completely rebuilt in 1975, albeit its historical look, as the original gate was demolished in the 1920s.
The Western wall may be the most spectacular, but it is worth visiting other sections. When wandering through Khiva, make sure to cross all its gates and look at the inner side of the walls – in many areas there are stone tombs built on the wall, and on top of each other.
Ko'hna Ark
Khiva’s palace, Ko’hna Ark, is integrated on the West wall, just left of the main gate. This fortified palace was designed as a forbidden city – a small town within the town, for exclusive use of the khan, his extended family, harem and his advisors and servants.
The origins of Ko’hna Ark can be traced to the 12th c. but the current Ko’hna Ark was built at the end of the 17th century. Just a few years later, it was sacked by the Persians, so what we see know is mostly from the beginning of the Qungrat dynasty (19th century).
Ko’hna Ark is the largest building in Ichan Qala (1.2 hectares) and the one that will take you longer to visit. The fortress only has one entrance, flanked by towers, which opens to a wide square with tandir ovens.
The first thing you will visit the fortress is the Reception Courtyard. You will notice a large circular stand – a yurt would be installed on top of it, where the khan gave justice.
Around this courtyard there are several rooms with simple brick walls for officials and servants, but what will catch your eye is the iwan of the Throne Hall. Its painted wood ceiling is held by two impressive carved wooden columns. Its walls are decorated with blue glazed tiles with geometrical motifs.
Inside, the Throne Hall has a beautiful painted wooden ceiling and its walls are painted in green, turquoise and gold…. this was actually painted a few years ago!
The khan’s intricate wooden throne, made in the beginning of the 19th c. was taken by the Russians to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, where it is still displayed.
Another courtyard of a similar size houses the summer mosque, built in 1838. Its tiles are most beautiful than those of the throne hall – in the middle, the mihrab facing Mecca has a more intense blue colour.
On this same courtyard you can find the mint, where there are a few instruments for minting coins and printing notes for the Khiva Khanate.
The harem occupies the Northern part of the Ark, but it cannot be visited. Anyway, its decoration is not so stunning as it was a private area off limits for guests.
Go back to the Reception Hall and climb the stairs to reach the Bastion of Ak Sheikh Bobo.
Climbing the watchtower is no longer allowed, but from the bastion you can see a lot of Ichan Qala – its walls and the less visited northern area of Ichan Qala, the courtyards and even Ko’hna Ark’s harem and, especially, the colourful minarets and domes of Khiva and the blue tiles of its madrasahs.
These sturdy ramparts were no match for Russian artilerry and just a few decades after Ko’hna Ark was finished, Khiva became a puppet of Russia.
Kalta Minor
Just across Ko’hna Ark, Kalta Minor is probably the most iconic monument of Khiva, what stands out in its skyline. This minaret is strikingly wide – and short, this is because it was never finished.
Mohammad Amin Khan ordered the construction of this minaret in 1851, which would be 70 metres tall. It was said you be able to see Bukhara from the top – which seems impossible, being nearly 400 km away). However, the Khan died in a battle against Persia in 1855, and the works were stopped when Kalta Minor had just reached a height of 26 metres.
Mohammad Amin Khan Madrasah
Kalta Minor is connected by a wooden catwalk to the Mohammed Amin Khan Madrasah, that today is the Khiva Hotel.
Its construction was likewise ordered by Mohammad Amin Khan, who wanted to built a new monumental complex from Ichan Qala’s main gate.
It is said that both the madrasah and the minaret were designed as competition for the Kalyon Minaret and Ko’kaldosh Madrasah in Bukara, Khiva’s traditional rival.
But as Mohammed Amin Khan’s rule only lasted 10 years, he could accomplish his grand projects.
The hotel management lets visitors in the madrasah’s courtyard. It was 125 hujras (student cells) in two floors.
Mohammad Rakhim Khan
In front of the main entrance to Ko’hna Ark is the Mohammed Rakhim Khan Madrasah. This madrasah was built between 1871 and 1876 – that is, it was caught by the Russian invasion in 1873, so this madrasah became trapped between two eras and introduced secular teachings in its curriculum.
Unusually, the Mohammed Rakhim Khan Madrasah is surrounded by a thick wall, as if mirroring Ko’hna Ark fortress. It was four iwans and 76 hujras. The colourful tiles of its façade were restored in 1992 (you can see there are only a few of the originals left).
Currently, Mohammed Rakhim Khan Madrasah houses a museum about the Khiva Khanate and Rakhim Khan.
Friday Mosque (Jo'me masjidi)
The Friday Mosque lies roughly in the centre of Ichan Qala, and is probably the most mystical building in the city.
You will find it easily thanks to its 33-metre minaret with green stripes, on the Mosque’s northern side.
Despite its archaic look, the Friday Mosque was actually built at the end of the 18th c.
Upon entering, you will see a large hall (55 by 46 metres) with 213 carved wood columns. Two skylights add an interesting natural lighting.
The structure of the Friday Mosque is completely different to any other mosque in Khiva, and even in the rest of Uzbekistan.
The look of the Friday Mosque resembles that of the first mosques in Islam – but it was built in the 18th century. It is said that this design was used to provide a large space to host a large crowd on Friday prayers, but maybe the design was intentionally archaic, to give an impression of a long history, back to the first days of Islam.
What is certain is that the Friday Mosque was built above an older mosque and, actually, some of its columns were reused from other buildings, even from other Khorezmian cities. The oldest columns are from the 10th century, although most were carved in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Look closer at the columns, and you will see that each has a different design. You can even tell the time when each was carved. The bases are also different, even of different height. Between column and base you will see a metal ring with a piece of camel wool inside to compensate the wood natural expansion and provide earthquake protection.
Kutluq Murad Inaq Madrasah
When leaving the Friday Mosque, continue through Polvon Qori, the main East-West street of Ichon Qala, and you will arrive at the Kutluq Murad Inaq Madrasah, from the beginning of the 19th century. It was built by Kutluq Murad Inaq, who was the uncle of Alla Kuli Khan, and is buried in the madrasah.
Kutluq Murad Inaq Madrasah has 81 hujras and a cistern in its courtyard, but its most unique feature are the minaret-like towers (guldasta) on both sides of its façade.
These towers display original geometrical designs on its terracotta tiles and are finished with glazed tiles.
White Mosque (Oq Masjid)
Just across the street from Kutluq Murad Inaq Madrasah is the White Mosque (Oq Masjid), which provides a striking contrast with the rest of the buildings in Khiva.
Becuase it is a neighbourhood mosque, its design is much simpler, with no tiles or decoration, except for the finely carved wooden capitals. It is also the only mosque in Ichan Qala with a three-sided iwan.
Palacio Toshhovli
In 1831, Allakuli Khan ordered the construction of a new palace by Ichan Qala’s East Gate, to replace Koh’na Ark as royal residence. This palace has over 160 rooms, arranged around three courtyards fully decorated with glazed tiles. The palace is fully surrounded by a wall, more decorative than defensive.
When Allakuli Khan demanded that the palace should be built in two years, the architect told him this was impossible – the Khan ordered him to be impaled.
The architect was right, though – it took 7 years to build the palace. It was used until de 1880s, when the Khan decided to move back to Ko’hna Ark.
Nowadays, the palace is visited in two separate sections – there is a different entrance to each part.
The main gate is just across the wall and Allakuli Khan Madrasah and gives access to the palace’s private area. Here you will see its largest and most beautiful courtyard, which housed the harem.
In a wing of this courtyard are the summer bedrooms of the khan and his three wives. All four rooms have an iwan with a carved wood column. You can visit the khan’s bedroom – this bed and some personal objects are still there.
Across the courtyard are the concubines’ summer bedrooms. The concubines entered the harem at a very young age, and they didn’t have a nice life. As they could not bear children of the khan, they had forced abortions whenever they got pregnant, which could be fatal.
Anyway, this courtyard is one of the most beautiful on Khiva. Its blue and turquoise tiles scintillate in such a way you can’t capture in photographs. The wooden carvings of the iwans and ceilings are also wonderful.
There is a corridor to go from this courtyard to the palace’s public area, but it is closed, so you have to go outside and back in through the other gate. The public area is made up of two courtyards, which are less restored but display even more ellaborate and beautiful tiles than the harem.
First, you will arrive at the public or entertainment courtyard (Ishrat Khauli), where the khan received visitors and organised parties and banquets. This courtyard was designed both for nomads and sedentary people – there are permanent rooms, but also yurt spaces.
A corridor crosses to the Justice courtyard (Arz Khana). Like in the old Ko’hna Ark fortress, the khan would sit here in his yurt, built on the circular pedestal, listened to each case and ruled justice.
The Toshhovli Palace is actually part of a monumental ensemble that includes the Allakuli Khan Madrasah, built in 1834, just across the harem gate, a caranvaserai and a tim (trade building), which are integrated in the walls of Ichan Qala.
The lower part of the madrasah, just by the street, housed Khiva’s library – nowadays there are a few shops and the Khorezm Art restaurant.
East Gate (Polvon Darvoza)
The East or Warrior’s Gate (Polvon Darvoza) was built in 1806. Originally, it was the gate to the slave market.
Close to this gate there are some places of interest outside of Ichon Qala: Said Niyoz Shalikarabay Madrasah, Polvon Qori Madrasah or the tomb of Abd al Bobo.
Islom Xoja Madrasah and Minaret
Going back to the centre of Ichon Qala, just South of the Friday Mosque are the Islom Xoja Madrasah and Minaret. They were actually built quite recently, in 1910, but carefully following a traditional style.
Islom Xoja was Khiva’s grand vizier and cousin of the khan who modernised the city – apart from this minaret and madrasah he built secular schools, a hospital and the telegraph.
But he was stabbed a few years later, in 1913.
With a height of 45 metres, the Islom Xoja minaret is the tallest in Khiva and one of the city’s symbols.
It looks even taller, as it gets thinner along its height and it is embellished with stripes of colourful tiles with geometric designs. They let you climb the minaret to enjoy a visit of the city, but it was closed during our visit.
Inside the madrasah there is an exhibition of ancient objects from Khiva: tiles, columns, stone documents (vakf)…
First Russian School
Across the Islom Xoja mdrasah is the First Russian School in Khiva, opened in 1912 by Palvan Mirza-bashi, secretary of the Khan – part of the modernisation programme. Unlike in traditional Islamic schools, based on Quranic education, in this school Russian, World History and Arithmetics were taught.
The First Russian School continued working until the Soviet era, despite fierce opposition of traditionalists.
Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
And thus we arrive to Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum, one of the most stunning buildings in Ichan Qala. Pahlavan Mahmud was a Persian poet, sufi scholar and wrestler who lived in the 13th-14th c. His tomb became a very popular pilgrimage site.
The visit to Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum is not included in the Ichon Qala ticket. It costs 25.000 som (some €2.5), but you really cannot miss it!
In 1810, Mohammad Rahim I, the second khan of the Qungrat dynasty, adopted Pahlavan Mahmud as a kind of patron saint of Khiva and decided to embellish his tomb, which was then very simple.
Beneath that green dome that stands out in Khiva’s skyline there are a few halls completely covered in beautiful and intricate blue and turquoise tiles. The dome interior is an impressive masterpiece, really unique in Khiva. This domed area was used as a khanaqah (Sufi meeting point). In front, you will find Muhammad Rahim I’s tomb.
On the left of the dome you will enter, through an intermediate space, the room where Pahlavan Mahmud himself rests. It is quite usual to find Uzbeks praying here.
In the decades after its construction, the mausoleum was enlarged to house the tombs of other Qungrat khans – in the end, Pahlavan Mahmud’s Mausoleum ended up being the mausoleum of the last Khivan dynasty.
Just outside of the mausoleum, you will see much simpler tombs of high-ranked officials, who wanted to be buried close to Pahlavan Mahmud.
South Gate (Tosh Darvoza)
The South or Stone Gate (Tosh Darvoza) lies some 250 metres from Islom Xoja Minaret, in a less touristic area of Ichon Qala – anyway, there is a small gem here, the Bogbonli Mosque, rebuilt in the beginning of the 19th c. reusing 15th-century carved wooden columns.
Wandering through these less touristic areas of Ichon Qala is actually very pleasant. Even if there are not big landmarks around, they are charming and give a better sense to the town. The South Gate was built during the Allakuli Khan’s rule (1825-1842). It comprised a customs office and a watchhouse. The southern section of the walls is also impressive,with tombs built on the walls.
We have read that you can climb the wall from the south gate, but it was closed during our visit. Just a bit further stands Dishon Qala’s South Gate, and it is worth going as there is a large wall section.
Dishon Qala
In 1842, under Allakuli Khan, the wall of Dishon Qala was erected – that is Khiva’s outer wall. It had a perimeter of 5.6 km and 10 gates.
Unlike the wall of Ichon Qala, this newer wall is not fully preserved, but there a few good sections of it and only 3 out of the 10 gates remain.
Dishon Qala is not as interesting as Ichon Qala, but there are a few less touristic mosques and madrasahs and more authentic spots and places to eat like an Uzbek.
Muralla y Puerta Sur de Dishon Qala
Dishon Qala’s South Gate is obviously a modern reconstruction, but on both of its sides you will find some of the largest remaining sections of Dishon Qala’s original wall – one section goes West, but the most interesting first approaches Ichon Qala, then turns towards the East.
On the other side of Dishon Qala wall there is surpsingly nothing, just waste land, although probably there will be some urban development soon. Modern Khiva has drown much more towards the North and West.
Said Niyoz Shalikarabay Mosque & Madrasah
Said Niyoz Shalikarabay Mosque and Madrasah is just across Ichon Qala East Gate. It was built in 1842 thanks to a donation of a rich rice merchant.
It is the second largest mosque in Khiva, after the Friday Mosque and it is still active as a religious site only.
North Gate (Qo'sha Darvoza)
The North Gate or Twin Gate (Qo’sha Darvoza) is undoubtedly the most interesting gate in Dishon Qala – the only one actually worth visiting. As its name suggests, it actually has two gates, one to enter and one to exit the city – this was needed to lighten the traffic in bustling Khiva. The gate displays an attractive tilework.
The modern North area of Khiva is more developed and tidy. Close to the Twin Gate there is a large park wit modern administrative buildings, shoppings centres, etc.
West of the Twin Gate, on your way to Nurullaboy Palace there is another section of the Dishan Qala wall.
Nurullaboy Palace
Nurullaboy Palace is the largest and newest palace in Khiva. The visit to Nurullaboy is not included in the Ichon Qala pass and it is the most expensive tourist attraction we visited in Uzbekistan: 60.000 som (casi 6 €).
In Ichon Qala there was less and less space for gardens and spacious buildings, so in 1859 the khan decided to build a new palace outside of the inner wall, in Dishan Qala.
The site chosen to build this new palace were the Nurullaboy gardens, and the palace took the same name. The actual construction started during the first years of Mohammed Rajim Khan II’s rule (1864-1910).
The palace was finished in 1913, just 7 years before the incorporation of Khiva into de USSR and the end of the Khan’s era. As in other late 19th-century palaces in Uzbekistan, as Sitorai Mohi Xosa de Bukhara, Russian influence is very noticeable.
Russian and European architectural trends converge with local tradition, delivering a mixture very similar to the Russian orientalism that was popular in St. Petersburg. In fact, German and Russian masters worked in the palace’s construction and decoration.
Many rooms have the typical colourful tilework chimneys of Russian palaces of the same period – it’s unsurprising, as the Russians finally conquered Khwarezm while Nurullaboy was built.
However, the Khan’s lifestyle was still quite traditional – one of the most important spaces of Nurullaboy Palace era el harem that Mohammed Rakhim Khan II ordered for his son.
As usual, the harem was surrounded by high walls to avoid nosy onlookers.
The courtyards keep the local tradition too, displaying carved wood columns following the style of Islamic buildings in Khiva.
Eating in Khiva
Khiva’s cuisine is that of Khwarezm and the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan – it is a bit different to the food in other cities you will visit in Uzbekistan.
First, in Khwarezm there is not so much plov, the national dish, as in the rest of Uzbekistan. If you love plov, you will find it, but Uzbeks don’t consider it as some traditional here.
In Khiva you will find some traditional Khwarezmian and Karakalpak dishes you probably won’t see elsewhere in Uzbekistan.
Shivit oshi is probably the most iconic dish: homemade thick noodles infused with dill, served with a meat and potato stew. This was one of the dishes we liked the most in Uzbekistan, apart from plov.
Tukhum barak is another dish you will find everywhere. These are large crescents of pasta with thin cream. Nothing special for our taste.
As in the rest of Uzbekistan, you will find shashlik, soups, pickled vegetables, somsas, manti and stews in an earthen pot (kuza shurpa), great for Khiva’s cold winters.
In Ichon Qala there are many restaurants made for large tourist groups, which are nothing special. These have large halls with a very kitsch decor. The only good thing about them is that their opening hours are longer, but you won’t find great food here.
Our favourite restaurant in Khiva, and all Uzbekistan, was Restaurant Xiva Kafe Milliy Taomlar, in front of Nurullaboy Palace, in Dishon Qala. There, you will really have an authentic Uzbek experience. The owner is very friendly, you will always see local clients and even Uzbek TV. But the best is the food cooked by his wife – homemade and some of the best we ate in Uzbekistan. We just have to tell you we ate there three times!
Apart from shivit oshi and kuza shurpa, their pickled aubergines are really good. Actually, everything tastes great.
Inside Ichon Qala, Khorezm Art is one of the best options. This restaurant is in the Allakuli Khan Madrasah, next to the East Gate. It is owned by a French-Uzbek coupled and the food is pretty good, although they serve more Uzbek staples than local specialties.
Don’t go after 8 pm for dinner in any of these places, especially during low season, because you may find them closed and you will have to eat in a package trip restaurant.
Day trip to the Fortresses of Ancient Khwarezm (Elliq Qala)
Northwest of Khiva you will soon enter the remote Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. There, you can visit its capital city, Nukus, which features the Igor Savitsky Museum, and exhibit of forbidden Soviet art that was hidden in this city, and what it remains of the Aral Sea and the former harbour of Moynaq.
But if you are not planning to travel all the way to Nukus and Moynaq, like us, you can still do a one-day trip (or even half-day) to the Fortresses of Ancient Khwarezm, locally known as Elliq qala, “Fifty fortresses”.
You can hire a driver from your hotel or guesthouse in Khiva or look for an agency. The standard price is €25 per person. The visit to some fortresses is free, others are paid, but prices are anyway low.
For a full experience, you can sleep overnight in a yurt camp (€50 per person, dinner and breakfast included).
In the most common trip you will visit the three best preserved fortresses: Kyzyl Qala, Topraq Qala y Ayaz Qala. To arrive there, you will cross the Amu Darya and pass by Urgench, the modern capital of Khwarezm, where the airport is, but nothing really interesting.
These fortresses were built by the ancient Khwarezmians, an East Persian people, who were Zoroastrians and spoke a Persian language, which is now extinct, similar to Sogdian. These fortresses were built as a defensive system against the steppe nomads and were still used during the Islamic period, when some of them were rebuilt.
The Elliq Qala lie on the frontier between Kyzylkum desert (literally “red desert”), home to the steppe nomads, and “civilisation”. The landscape is really stunning and sunsets are marvellous.
We started the trip in Kyzyl Qala (“Red Fortress”), the fortress furthest from Khiva (90 km away, it takes roughly 1h30). It was built between the 1st-4th c. and rebuilt in the 12th-13th c. before the Mongol invasion. Entrance is free.
This fortress was an advanced post or maybe a garrison. Its groundplan is square, approximately 60 x 60 metres long and it is made mostly of adobe. It features an entrance ramp and two defensive towers, of the West and North.
Its walls are spectacular, up to 16 metres tall. Inside, there is barely any standing structure and, actually, there are many holes in the ground.
We continued to Topraq Qala, just 3 km from Kyzyl Qala. The visit costs 10.000 som (less than €1).
Topraq Qala was a walled city, planned as a capital. It was built around the 2th c. AD probably by a ruler called Artav, of which we only know his name. This area, now desertic, was then irrigated by a canal that brought water from the Oxus river (Amu Darya) nearby.
What you can visit today in Topraq Qala was actually a fortified royal palace, a 80 x 80 metre square built atop a hill. All the palace is built with bricks of the same size, which reveals a high degree of planning.
Topraq Qala is the best preserved of the Khwarezm Fortresses. You can still see the structure of the royal palace, including a throne hall, ritual halls next to it and a room that probably was a fire temple. The palace had over 100 rooms and three towers.
Below, the actual city was much larger. It was also carefully planned and completely surrounded by a rectangular wall, with a water deposit, a Zoroastrian fire temple and a residencial area with a regular grid plan and a wide central avenue.
After eating in a rather authentic place in a village called Bo’ston where our driver took us, we went to Akhchakol Lake, the last water mass before the Kyzylkum desert makes way.
Very close to the lake shore there is a yurt camp (hotel). In summer you can swim, take a boat trip and even fish here.
Finally we arrived in Ayoz Qala. This is actually a group of three fortresses 25 km Northwest of Akhchakol Lake, in an area that looks even remoter.
Ayoz Qala I stands atop a hill, but still on the lower part of the landscape. This is probably the most beautiful of the three fortresses. It was built in the 4th c. BC, when Khwarezm gained independence from the Persians. Its inner and outer walls are really stunning. Bastions were added later for enhanced defence.
Ayoz Qala II is the smallest and most modern, Southeast of Ayoz Qala I. It was built in the 7th-8th c. and it is the least interesting of the three.
Ayoz Qala III is uphill, 1 km from Ayoz Qala I. It is the largest fortress of the group (260 x 190 metres) and it was built around the 4th c. BC.
Ayoz Qala III, unlike Ayoz Qala I, was probably the wall of a fortified town. On the slopes of the hill where it stands there are remnants of vineyards, farms and irrigation.
Next to Ayoz Qala III there is a yurt camp – actually a hotel for tourists who are looking for a different experience, to sleep one night in a yurt, which is probably now permanent.
The yurt camp has electricity, lamps with movement sensors and toilets (outside of the yurts, not very pleasant in winter). There is heating and electric blankets so you can stay warm even in winder.
It is certainly not the most comfortable place to stay, and it is more expensive than a hotel, but it is charming. What is undeniable is that sunset by the desert is really spectaular.
However, it is probably better in summer, when days are longer, than in autumn or winter, because once the sun sets and you have dinner, there is not much to do here.
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