Khiva

Khivan rulers commanded from this fortress-residence from as early as the 12th century up to the 17th century when the khans expanded the structure to include a mosque, a harem, and a jail. After you see the gorgeous open-air, blue-tiled mosque, check out the throne room where the khans dispensed swift and brutal punishments against any transgressors. The three doors across from the throne decided your fate: the left door meant freedom, the center door meant imprisonment, and the right door meant death. Above the throne room is a lookout tower where you can capture a great view of the entire Ark structure. Be sure to pay a visit to the jail, just outside the entrance to the Ark, where you'll see gruesome paintings that depict the various ways the khans meted out punishment. Most of the buildings date from the 17th century. The fortress covers an area of 130 x 90 m and was enclosed by a fortification wall 9 m high. Have a close look at the well preserved Summer Mosque. The glazed blue and white tiles are peculiar for the decoration used in Khiva. The ornaments in the form of stars and the floral and vegetable patterns clearly differ from those used in Bukhara. The mihrab in the southern wall with quotations from the Quran is especially beautiful. Its tiles date from the 19th century. In the corner on the left hand stood the minbar on top of which quotations from the Quran in Kuft script can still be seen. The tiles in the Reception Hall in green and white and with flower motives on a blue background were executed under Alla-Kuli Khan in the 19th cent. The Reception Hall is surrounded by a small courtyard with stone pavement which is separated from the other parts by a high wall. In the courtyard is a round elevation characterizing the place of the khan's winter yurt. On the left of the Reception Room is an Aiwan with two beautiful carved wooden columns. Aiwan and Reception Hall are decorated with painted ceilings. Behind the Aiwan was the Throne Room with the khan's throne in a niche.

If you were to be executed during the khan's rule, it was probably going to happen in the center of this once-busy square. The medrassah is mostly dedicated to its namesake, the Khan Mohammed Rakhim who managed to keep Khiva independent from infiltration by British and Russian forces until the late 19th century. On the south side of the square is a tiny, but interesting museum dedicated to traditional music.

This squat minaret is an iconic symbol of Khiva, mainly because of its exquisite blue and green tile work and the fact that it remains unfinished. According to legend, it was originally supposed to rival the Kalon Minaret in Bukhara, however the architect fled before seeing it finished, fearing he would be put to death by the khan. More likely, its construction halted when Muhammad Amin Khan died in a battle near Sarakhs in 1855. You aren't permitted to climb to the top of this minaret, but guards have been known to give visitors "unofficial" tours of the interior structure, for a fee. Kalta Minor dates from the 19th century. It is 14 m in diameter at its base and 26 m high. According to the legend Amir Khan intended to build a minaret from the top of which he could see Buchara, 400 km away. After his death in 1855 the construction works came to a halt. The varied pattern of coloured glazed tiles in white, blue, green and a brownish yellow form a perfect harmony.

The old mosque was already mentioned by the Arab traveller Mohammed al-Magisi in the 10th century. According to the inscriptions above the entrance, the actual mosque was built in the 18th cent. It covers an area of 55 x 46 m. The interior is square in plan. It has two octagonal openings in the ceiling. Apart from wooden beams and columns it has no decoration. It contains 212 ornately carved columns that support the roof, dating back to the 12th to 15th century. The wooden columns were removed from other buildings which have been destroyed. The columns are masterpieces of wood carving. The whole surface is covered by leaves, flowers and tendrils. If you look closely, you can see pomegranate blossoms and acanthus leaves. The columns are peculiar in form: they are spherical at their base, get a little bit narrower and end with a part similar to an oblong drinking glass. In some columns the base is a square marble or a round piece of wood only. Similar carved columns were not only used in palaces and mosques, but also in farmers' houses where they carry the roof of the verandah. It is reported that these wooden columns are the oldest in Central Asia. Tradition says that they come from the Great Mosque of Kat, the former capital of old Choresmia. Research has shown that 15 of them date to the 10th to 14th century. Be sure to bring some sort of light if you plan to climb the 81 steps up to the top of the Juma minaret, which you can access from inside.

The mausoleum is one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in Uzbekistan. Pahlawan Mahmud ("the strong man") was famous for his extraordinary bravery, physical strength as well as his good nature. He was a furrier, but also a wrestler, doctor, poet and saint. The people gave him the title "Pahlavan", meaning brave and handsome hero, as he defended the poor and is said to have had mystical powers. Pahlavan Mahmud is also revered in Persia and India. His grave became an important shrine for pilgrims and became the burial place of the Khans of Khiva. Tradition says that the first building was erected over Pahlavan Mahmud furrier's shop. The present building was erected in the 18th century. It covers an area 100 x 50 m wide, on which the saint's grave, prayer rooms, a pilgrims' lodge, a summer and a winter mosque have been built. According to an inscription the building was erected by architect Abdullah Djin. It is considered as one of the most important buildings of Islamic Central Asia due to its interior totally covered with glazed tiles and due to its artful facade. In the 19th century, the mausoleum became a necropolis of the princes of the Kungrat dynasty. It is considered as the last great mausoleum building in Central Asia. The southern entrance is the oldest part of the present building. It has an inscription on the wooden door indicating the date 1701. The mausoleum has an oval turquoise dome with white ornaments on the lower edges. Within the mausoleum are the richly decorated sarcophagus of Khan Mohammed Rahim and two sarcophagi of black marble of the historian Khan Abu Al Gazi who died in 1663 and of Khan Anush who died in 1681. Beside the prayer room is the crypt with the grave of Pahlavan Mahmud. The walls are covered with ornaments all over, depicting interlacing stalks of flowers, leaves and zig-zag or crossing lines. The wooden door with ivory work, the wooden columns and the glazed tiles make Pahlawan Mahmud Mausoleum one of the best museum of applied arts in Khiva. Note, as of June 2022 the mausoleum is not included in the city ticket, the entrance fee is 25,000 som.

The minaret is 45 m high and 10 m wide at its base. It was built in 1908, however using the same methods as the much older minarets at Bukhara, Wabkent and Konye Urgench. You can see the minaret from everywhere in Khiva and even from far away in the desert. It is probable that the minaret served military purposes as well. Islam Khoja was the great vizier of Khan Asfendijar. He undertook moderate reforms, opened the first secular school and the first hospital and introduced mail and railways. Khan Asfendijar ruled from 1910 to 1920. He mistrusted everyone. He stayed in a mirror hall, observed all persons arriving through the mirrors and called the palace guards on the most trifling occasions. But to the greatest extent he feared his own vizier. Thus, he ordered that nobody was allowed to leave his house in order to pray for the health and the spiritual welfare of the khan. He called for Islam Khoja, kept him in his palace until dark and on his way home Islam Khoja was killed by bandits. it is possible to climb on top for an additional 100000 som on top of the city ticket

This is the oldest Quran school in Khiva. It was built in 1718/19. Tradition says that it was constructed by slaves captured by Shigaziz Khan during his expedition to Meshed from which he returned with five thousand slaves. He promised them to be released when the medressa was completed, but he delayed the completion again and again, asking new services from the hungry slaves again and again. In 1726 the slaves killed him in the unfinished medressa.

This medressa is the largest in Khiva. Its facade is made of coloured brick and mosaics. The main characteristics of the building are the hujiras (students' cells). Khan Muhammed Alim was one of the most important khans of Khiva. The medressa was built in 1851/52 and the khan died 1855 in a battle against the Turkmen. The Hungarian traveller Vambery reported that the medressa had 250 pupils.

The mosque was founded in 1657, but the present building dates from the 19th century. Tradition tells that it was founded in honour of Khan Anush Mohammed after he had saved his father Abu al Ghazi's life. It consists of a monumental hall with a dome above it and wooden aiwans on three sides. It is rather small with a base of 6.5 x 6.5 m. The cubiform substructure and the dome are painted white. Ak Mosque meaning "white mosque". Beside the mosque is a small minaret with beautiful carved wooden doors.

The mosque was built in the 19th century, but wooden columns of the 15th century were used for its aiwan.

Seid Allaudin Mausoleum is considered one of the oldest buildings at Khiva, dating from the period of the rule of the Mongols. It was erected by Emir Kuljall to honour his teacher Seid Allaudin (Said Ala ad Din) who was a leader of the Naqshbandi order. Emir Kuljall died in 1380, Seid Allaudin in 1303. The door of the mausoleum has fine wood carvings. Seid Allaudin's tomb is richly decorated with glazed tiles with floral motives in white against a dark or light blue background. The rest of the place is pretty bare otherwise.

The Dichon-Qala and surrounding areas contain only a handful of historical sights, but still have some interesting attractions including Friendship Park, Independence Square, as well as a long stretch of ancient secondary wall that snakes its way around the outskirts of the city.

In the high season at dusk, one show 5000 som, both shows 7000 som, with dinner 10,000 som (2007)