Silk Road - 6 June 2009 - Touring Khiva, Uzbekistan

After breakfast, we loaded on the bus for a ten minute ride that we could have in the end walked in less time. The purpose was to make sure that we all got a bottle of water, which in this climate is very important.

Khiva consists of an inner and outer city. The inner city is inside the walls and the population is about 4,000. The total population of both inner and outer city is about 40,000. The history of Khiva goes back to the 6^th – 7^th century BCE. The current wall was built in the 19^th century and consists of two walls with a walking path between them. The outer wall has towers every few yards for marksmen. Inside the city is the ark or citadel in which the Khan and other royalty lived. There was a Summer Mosque, which has been restored using local tiles. The ceiling is painted wood. In the minting hall, coinage was made and the craftsmen who made the coinage were never allowed to leave the city. There was also a winter mosque with carved wooden columns and a wooden painted ceiling. Wood was a relatively rare commodity in this part of the world, because for the most part it had to be imported from elsewhere. There was a room with the Khan’s throne, which was originally gold. It was taken to Moscow. The throne room had alabaster walls and niches in the wall opposite the throne for various objects.

Walls of Khiva
Madrassah currently used as hotel
Tile Work
Tile Work (Kathy and Sanam, our guide)
Summer Mosque
Painted Wooden Ceiling
Minting Room - Making Coinage
Winter Mosque
Marble Base of Wooden Columns
Painted Wooden Ceiling
Throne of Khan (Original was gold)
Niches opposite Throne
Description