UZBEKISTAN -KHIVA

KHIVA

Khiva is ancient Chorasmia and later known as Khwarizm and Khorezm. It is formerly a large  khanate (Kingdom) of West Central. Located south of the Aral Sea and is now part of Uzbbekistan and Turkmenistan. The ancient city Khiva is located in Uzbekistan and is famous for its many historic buildings which are preserved as a museum like valley city. Khiva is most intact of the ancient cities of Uzbekistan.

Khiva is located in the west of the Khorezm region in the heart of the Karakum desert to the left bank of the Amu Darya.Horasmis, Hvarzm and Khorezm such ancient names was awarded Khiva.

Originally Khiva is not the capital of the state and it was only a trade merchant city, located at the crossroads of caravans’ routes of the Silk Road between Merv and Urgench (the former capital of Khorezm, now Old Urgench).

Today, Khiva is the “Open air museum”, claiming to be the “eighth wonder of the world”.

Although archaeologists assert that the city has existed since the 6^th century, the city of Khiva was first recorded by Muslim travellers in the 10^th century.

 By the early 17^th century, Khiva had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva under the Genghisid dynasty.Legend says that Khiva was founded by none other than Shem,the son of seemingly romantic history as a Silk Road oasis, the city became most notable as Central Asia’s biggest slave trade center. Khiva may be a small city with its population barely over 40000 but it is the preserved stop on the old Silk Road giving tourists a broad appeal in tracing the historic trading route.

Invent on transforming the traditionally teeming city into a living museum, Khiva was purged of much of its ancient bustle and its buildings were scrubbed down or , in the case of some landmarks ,such as the 9^th century Juma Mosque was rebuilt and turned into public exhibits.

 Must see include the exquisite 19^th century Tash Hauli Palace, the 225 foot tall Islam-Khodja Minaret and Pakhlavan Makhmud’s Mausoleum honoring the great Khivan philosopher. Itchan Kala in Khiva was the first site in Uzbekistan to be listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.