48 Hours in KHIVA

The history of Khiva and the Khorezm oasis is a most fascinating one and the many quaint museums within the Ichan Kala, the walled old city of Khiva, give you insights into life as it was up to quite recently, actually. Whatever way you approach Khiva from, you will have to cross the legendary Amu Darya river and you’ll know, you are close to your destination. As you turn around the last bent, the huge citadel rises before you and the main gate then opens up to the pedestrian zone inside.
Today Khiva is the gateway to a region that has much to show for; Ancient Khorezm, stretching way up to Muynak, where you may discover lost cities from the VI century, sleep in a yurt, take river boat rides, mourn the loss of a major water eco system, acquire hand made ceramics, woven rugs and silk carpets, embroidery, woolen slippers and many other souvenirs, drive through lovely villages made entirely from clay, where friendly peasants lead a lifestyle close to the one of their ancestors hundreds of years ago, where donkey carts are a common means of transportation, far away from sophistication and fancy establishments but where hospitality is spelled with a huge capital H

GETTING THERE

Urgench International Airport with direct flights from/to Tashkent is a 25 minute drive from Khiva. There are taxis on the outside curb but you are best advised to make arrangements through your hotel, who will send a car with driver. The tramway from the airport to Khiva is a reality but it's a myth that you may want to use it since the journey will take around 2h.

Overland from Tashkent there's only one way to go, no, not the short cut through the Kyzylkum desert straight out West but rather along the over 1000km through Samarkand, Bukhara. A local bus from Bukhara may take up to 12h.

Train is an option in the future, at present the trip from Tashkent through Zerafshan and Uchkuduk takes 18h. But there are efforts to make train travel a fast and comfortable way to get across the country

The cupola of the Pakhlavon-Makhmud mausoleum is unsurpassed in its simplicity, unforgettable for its luminating shade of turquoise. There is no site more sacred in this oasis city. The sufi poet with 338 rubai to his name and champion wrestler who lived on the threshold of the XIII-XIV centuries, was later canonized and is considered the patron saint of Khiva, referred to as a museum in the open

JUMA MOSQUE

There are 212 columns inside the Djuma-Mosque carved over a time span of over 1000 years. Many of them have very unique ornamental carving ranging from inscriptions made in strict "kufi" style, carved very deeply into the different types of wood, and there is even a buddhist style carving. Columns from the XI century show plain carving like ornamental Gothic script. Ñolumns of XV century bear the educational writings of "neskh", another Arabic script, and on recently made columns delicate flower patterns wind their way up towards the high ceiling. Juma Mosque is indeed an original museum of columns and wood carvers from all over Uzbekistan come here to learn

ICHAN KALA

Powerful fortifications protect the internal city of Khiva Ichan Kala. the historic architectural reserve, entirely restored to once again emerge as the important desert city it once was. The good condition can be explained by the comparative youth of the majority of the buildings. The city became the capital of Khorezm only in XVII century.

Some key figures: The area of Ican Kala is 26 hectares, the length of the walls is 2200 meters, and the height of the wall is up to 8 meters in some parts. The main architectural monuments are located inside the Ichan Kala

KUNYA ARK

The government institutions were located at Kunya Ark (palace-fortress) at the western part of Ichan Kala. From the civil buildings of Kunya Ark only Kurinish-khona (Reception hall), mint and harem can be found today.

Kurinish-khona is a yard detached from the main area by the high serrated wall. There is a small round eminence at the center for yurt. Near it there is a glue-painted avian. On the marble pedestal of one of the avian columns the poems about righteous judgment of Agakhi, the famous Khiva poet, are carved. The walls are decorated by the carved clay bays and have the special place for Khan Throne

Khodji Islam minaret, with its 45m hight was built only in 1908 by Usto (master) Khudaibergen Khodji. It has the strongly converged shape typical for Khiva minarets, and has no hanging lamp (in contrast to Bukhara minarets). It is possible to climb the Khodja Islam minaret all the way and from the platform on top you too could take some of the photos we show you in this issue of Discovery. Sunset is a much recommended moment for a photo shoot

The harem of Khiva Khans was built in 1830-1832. Its layout and architectural as well as decorative features are in the classic harem style which every respectable family in Khiva held in high esteem. Naturally, we are all intrigued by the mere word “harem” and as your eyes take in the superb majolica's you may wonder what life behind these walls could have been like for the ladies then in the context of their time thought of their situation as perfectly normal. It is therefore not surprising that the first accounts of Harem life came from the pen of MacGahan, the American journalist who vividly recounts his adventure in 1873, upon the attack by the Russians, the crumbling harem, even describing the well in the inner courtyard, an area strictly prohibited to non-family members in his memoirs "The battle on the Oxus and the downfall o f Khiva"

SHOPPING

the woodcarving is among the fines in Uzbekistan and as you wander down narrow lanes peaking through an open carved wood gate into the city's hidden courtyards, you will come upon a number of masters and their young apprentices engaged in this laborious craft ceramics is what Khiva is famous for in terms of souvenirs. Blue and white and yellow glazed, from small pots that make great pen holders to conveniently sized square tiles that make excellent hot plates to antique serving dishes made in the surrounding villages never will your eyes be able to take in the many hundreds of hand-knitted slippers in all sizes and colors, that line the old town's thoroughfare. The temperature may be in the upper 40 degrees celsius but you an still be sure to have a nice lady beckon you to have a closer look at her handknit slippers or waving a handspun, miraculously light knit triangle scarf at you. These are light weight and useful items, you could make someone really happy, and they make fora great story to tell
At times you will catch yourself dreaming about bringing back home some of the magnificent majolicas - somehow. Now there is a way: Silk threads from natural dyes, deep blue indigos, yellows, whites, hand embroidered into the intricate patterns you encounter at every Medresse, the Palace, the Harem... one more fascinating than the next or simply mind blowing for their simplicity. British Council Tashkent under Neville McBain has made the workshop possible, Chris sets the highest standards and local ladies continue millenia old crafts in the form of pillow covers, bags, wall hangings and much more

HOTELS

Your top of the range options are the wonderful Malika Hotel, the group's Khiva property lies right outside the city walls on the Hauz, the pond, which reflects its majolica tiled fañade. Outside the western wall you may stay at the brand new Marco Polo Asia Hotel. Wait till you find out thrilling it is to stay inside inside the Ichan Kala fortification walls, where you have the choice between the ever expanding Archanchi Hotel, the lovely family run Mirzobashi B&B right opposite the camel, Zarafshan's home stay (book at the Tolib Makhsum Tea House), Miras Guest House and Zafar Bek Hotel near the southeatern gate.

Opening in 2005 are Mukhammad Jaqub B&B featuring the finest in ganch and woodcarving as well as Mirzaboshi's second property in the heart of the Ichan Kala

CHAI KHANAS

Small Tea Houses, and plenty of them, are what you find inside Ichan Kala. Wonderful home cooking at Mirzaboshi B&B, delicious manti and fried fish at the lovely court yard Tolib Makhsum Tea House, ice cream pecialties and cold drinks under the Aywan just to the left of the main gate and tasty lunch and dinners at Bir Gumbaz a few steps down the main pedestrian lane from the Information Center plus Chai Khana Farruh on the main pedestrian zone. are but a few of our recommendations. Every hotel is happy to serve lunch and dinner by request and advance notice. Don't miss out on steaming Plov from Khorezm and fish specialties prepared from the day's catch from the Amu Darya river.

With the heat in the summer, ice cream is never in short supply and available at every corner. And a cool local beer in the evening under the stars (and believe us, the starry sky is something else as seen from the Ichan Kala) unforgettable.