Khiva: Uzbekistan’s Unique Desert Oasis City

The distinctive atmosphere and unique character of Khiva are primarily a result of its relatively isolated location in the Kyzylkum Desert.

Built within the Khorezm Oasis, Khiva functioned as a vital stopping point for trade caravans crossing the vast desert, bringing immense riches to the local rulers.

The harsh character of the desert was mirrored in the local character of the city, as Khiva served as the centre of a feared slave-trading Khanate.

Although you can still sense the historic ambiance, Khiva is now a highly peaceful and pleasant city to explore.

The entire old town of Khiva is encircled by imposing mud-brick walls, stretching approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in length.

As all the sights in Khiva are located within the walled premises of Ichon-Qala, you can easily explore everything on foot.

Although the town isn’t that large, you do need a full day to do Khiva justice and to explore the sights at leisure.

Kalta Minor

Upon entering the old town of Khiva through the West Gate, you will instantly notice the Kalta Minor, a blue-tiled minaret which is one of the major landmarks of the city.

It’s possible that you may not immediately identify the Kalta Minor as a minaret.

After all, due to its cylindrical shape the Kalta Minor doesn’t really look like a minaret at all.

The minaret was commissioned by Mohammed Amin Khan in 1851, but construction ceased when he died.

The Kalta Minor therefore was never finished beyond its base, and one can only imagine how impressive the minaret would have looked if the workers had completed the remainder of the structure.

For approximately $15, you can purchase a combined entrance ticket to visit the sights and museums of Khiva.

The entrance ticket is valid for multiple days and will be stamped upon entering any of the museums or sights covered by it.

Besides the palace residence, harem and an audience room where the Khan had meetings with his nobles or mere subjects, the Ark also featured military quarters, stables, a gorgeous mosque and a notorious jail.

The ramparts of the Kukhana Ark offer some decent views over Khiva.

Wealth

The Khans of Khiva accumulated their wealth through the slave trade and imposing high taxes on travellers and traders.

This was relatively easy, considering Khiva’s strategic location in the middle of the desert, where they controlled the only oasis for miles around.

The Khanate of Khiva earned an especially fearsome reputation in the region due to their raids aimed at capturing slaves, whom they then sold at the city’s slave markets.

I can only imagine the thoughts travellers might have had upon seeing soldiers with the banner of the Khanate in the far distance – it must have been very similar to witnessing the black Islamic State banner in contemporary times.

When both the Russians and the British cast their eyes on Central Asia during the 19th century in a battle for influence and control over the region, a historical episode known as ‘the Great Game’, the power of the local Khanates slowly faded away.

In what was seen at the time as a significant diplomatic PR coup for the British in the Great Game, an officer in the British-Indian Army named Richmond Shakespear successfully persuaded the Khan of Khiva in 1840 to release more than 400 Russian slaves.

As a recognition of his efforts, Shakespear was later knighted by Queen Victoria.

In the years leading up to the eventual fall of the Khanate of Khiva to the Russians in 1873, the Khan had already become no more than a vassal of the Tsar, and the slave markets were eventually disbanded.

In the old town of Khiva, you can find numerous madrassas (Islamic schools), and they typically boast some of the most impressive façades among all the buildings in town.

One of these madrassas, the Mohammed Rakhim Khan Madrassa, is situated across a vast square from the Ark.

The square in front of the madrassa was originally used for executions, but now it is mostly empty aside from a few camels and souvenir stalls.

As the best-preserved of the three great Uzbek Silk Road cities, the main attraction of Khiva isn’t any individual sight within the city, but rather the harmonious ensemble of the entire old town.

Next on my list of places to visit in Khiva was the Islam Khoja Madrassa, which now houses a museum.

The most prominent sight in Khiva not included in the combined entrance ticket is the 45-metre-high (148 ft) Islam Kohja minaret, and accessing it requires an additional $2 entrance fee paid on the spot.

The Islam Kohja Minaret towers high above the old town of Khiva and is undeniably an immensely impressive structure when you stand at the base and gaze upward towards the top.

After descending the minaret steps, I decided it was time for a lunch break.

There was an appealing-looking restaurant nearby where you could dine in an authentic yurt set up in the inner courtyard.

The backstreets to the south of the Islam Kohja minaret were among my favourite, as they appear to have much local life, such as an operational tannery and carpet weaving workshop.

The further south you walk, the more local life you will encounter, as many of the low-key houses here have been inhabited by townsfolk for centuries.

In the southern part of the old town, you can also find what I consider to be the most beautiful sight in Khiva.

While the tomb was only dimly lit during my visit, the Islamic tilework on the walls was highly impressive.

After my visit to the Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum, I continued walking through the backstreets until I reached the southern gate of the city.

No matter which side of the old town you view them from, the mudbrick walls of Khiva will never fail to impress.

Climbing the walls

If you wish, you can walk for almost a quarter of the length of the wall towards the West Gate from this point.

It is also possible to ascend the wall at the North Gate, using stone steps that are part of the structure, as opposed to a sandy slope.

However, the views from there are much less beautiful in my opinion.

After the fun walk on the city walls, I headed back towards the heart of Khiva’s old town.

Another important sight you can visit in Khiva’s old town is the rather unusual Juma Mosque, renowned for its 218 wooden columns supporting the roof.

There aren’t too many restaurants within the walled city of Khiva, so after all the sightseeing I stopped at a random hotel restaurant in town, where the dining room was completely deserted.

I stayed the night in Khiva at the Arkanchi Hotel, where I paid $50 for a twin room, with breakfast included in the rate.

One highly recommended activity in Khiva is to take a walk through the old town at night.

At night, the walled old town will be completely deserted, and all the grand mosques, minarets and madrassas look splendid in the darkness.

The nighttime atmosphere in the dimly lit streets really makes for a unique walk that you will not easily forget.

For what it’s worth, Khiva is a perfectly safe destination, even when you explore the dark alleys and streets late at night, although a torch might come in handy!

Conclusion

I loved my trip to Khiva as it was an absolute delight to explore its beautiful old town with all its mosques and madrassas.

There is just something special about Khiva, whether it’s the harmonious character of the incredibly well-preserved old town or the imposing mudbrick walls and fortifications of this oasis town in the middle of the Kyzylkum Desert.

Although I do think that among Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities, Samarkand has easily the more impressive sights, and Bukhara has the most local charm, Khiva felt the most unique in some ways.