Khiva
Uzbekistan · Khorezm Region · 96 m
Description
Khiva is a walled town that was restored as a whole rather than in pieces, so the inner city of Ichan Kala is a single enclosed set of madrasahs, minarets and palaces inside mud ramparts, and people still live in it. The Kalta Minor was meant to be the tallest minaret anywhere and was abandoned at two fifths of its intended height when the khan died, which left a fat turquoise stump that has become the emblem of the place. The Tash Hauli palace holds the harem courtyards. Khiva ran one of the largest slave markets in Central Asia, and a slave uprising ended it as much as the Russian conquest of 1873.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Ichan Kala walled inner city
- Kalta Minor unfinished minaret
- Muhammad Amin Khan madrasah at Kalta Minor
- Tash Hauli palace and its harem courtyards
- Islam Khoja minaret and the climb up it
- Juma mosque and its forest of wooden columns
- Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum
- Kuhna Ark citadel and its throne room
- Sunset from the Kuhna Ark watchtower
- Allakuli Khan madrasah and caravanserai
- Carpet and suzani workshops in the madrasahs
- Nurullaboy palace outside the walls
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- UGC
- Train stations:
- Khiva