Khiva

Khiva, Uzbekistan

The golden sunset illuminating the mud-brick walls of the old city of Khiva.

A walled Silk Road oasis where the old town still feels lived in, best seen early or late when the tour groups thin out.

The place

Khiva is a city of about 105,000 people in Khorezm, north-western Uzbekistan, sitting at around 109 metres above sea level on flat oasis land. Two landscapes meet here. Outside the walls, modern avenues and Soviet-era blocks carry everyday traffic. Inside them lies Itchan Kala, a walled old town of narrow brick lanes, minarets, carved wooden columns and domed bazaars packed closely together. The old town was the first site in Uzbekistan to be placed on the World Heritage List, and it remains the reason most visitors come.

The old quarter was heavily restored during the Soviet period, so it looks cleaner and more finished than a medieval town might have. Some people feel that smoothing removed texture; others argue it is the reason the buildings survived at all. Many houses now operate as guesthouses, and families still live along the quieter lanes, so the place is far from a stage set.

Irrigated fields around the town show how the oasis depends on water, while the desert lies only a short distance beyond. The climate is sharply seasonal: summers are hot and dry, and midday is best spent indoors or in shade. Day-trip coaches usually arrive mid-morning and leave by late afternoon, so the early and late hours belong more to residents and overnight visitors.

Its story

Khiva's history begins with settlement that archaeologists trace back to antiquity, and the city's own founding is dated to around 501 BCE. Early on, the region's ruling class spoke Khwarezmian, an Eastern Iranian language. Over the centuries Turkic peoples took power and gradually turned the area into a land where most people spoke Turkic.

The first written accounts of the town come from Muslim travellers who passed through it, and digs have turned up older habitation. Khiva grew into the seat of a khanate ruled by the Kongirad dynasty of Uzbek origin, and it held that role for generations. Its location on the edge of two deserts made it a crossroads, but the same caravan routes that carried goods also carried traders in people.

Slavery became a central part of the town's economy. Khiva and Bukhara were, for several centuries, leading centres of the captive trade, and Persians and Russians were among those seized and sold. Many captives worked on building projects inside what is now Itchan Kala, which is why its grand walls and palaces carry a painful history alongside their beauty.

Russia later pressed into the region and reduced the khanate to a protectorate. Khiva then served as the capital of the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic, and during the Soviet period the old town was restored, a process that shaped the look visitors see now. The astronomer and polymath al-Biruni is said to have been born in Khiva or in the nearby town of Kath.

What to see

Culture

Khiva's old town is a living neighbourhood as well as a monument, and its mosques, madrasahs and mausoleums remain places of worship. Uzbekistan is largely Muslim, and people here range from devout to relaxed about religious observance, so it helps to read the room before acting. Greetings are warm and often lengthy, and older people are addressed with respect. Hospitality runs deep: an invitation to tea in a family home or a chaikhana is usually sincere, and the host will keep refilling the cup as a sign that the guest is welcome.

Photographing people deserves thought. Many residents are happy to be photographed, especially after a greeting, but some expect a small payment and some decline. Noise carries in the narrow lanes, so keep conversations moderate near homes and avoid loud music, particularly at dawn and in the evening when families are at home.

Bargaining is part of commerce in the bazaars and with taxi drivers, and it is done with humour rather than pressure. Religious sites expect quiet and modest dress. Take your shoes off before stepping onto the carpeted floor of any mosque, madrasah or mausoleum interior, and ask before photographing anyone at prayer.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Khiva follows the wider Uzbek and Khorezm style. Men traditionally wore the chapan, a long robe often lined or padded and striped in silk, with a doppa, the embroidered skullcap that remains the most common headwear for older men. Women wore long dresses called ko'ylak with trousers beneath, often in bright silks and cottons, and wrapped their heads in cloth. Local textiles are notable: ikat-dyed silk and cotton known as adras, and khan-atlas, a glossy silk, were woven for clothing and hangings. Embroidery decorated bridal and household textiles.

Today most people in Khiva wear European-style clothing for work and daily life. Men often pair trousers and a shirt with a doppa for weddings and holidays, and women mix modern dresses with headscarves, especially at religious sites. Older residents are more likely to be seen in the traditional long robes, and they come out for festivals and family occasions.

For a visitor, the climate comes first. Summers are very hot, so loose cotton or linen, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses make sense, while winters can be cold and call for a warm layer. At mosques, madrasahs and mausoleums, cover shoulders and knees, and carry a light scarf to cover the head when entering shrines. Footwear should be easy to slip off and sturdy enough for uneven brick, sand and cobbles.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. November is the most comfortable month to visit, with highs near 27 C, while July and August are the hottest months and March is the wettest. Summer is very hot and dry, and winter is cold.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly into Urgench Airport, the nearest, with Uzbekistan Airways from Tashkent. From there a taxi or shared car covers the final stretch to Khiva, so agree the fare before you set off.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources