Khiva

Khiva

Khiva city is situated in south-central Uzbekistan, west of the Amu Darya River, on the Palvan Canal, bordered by the Karakum Desert to the south and the Kyzylkum Desert to the northeast. The city is famous for its Islamic architecture in its 240-hectare historic center. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city existed as early as the 6th century AD, but two Arab travelers first recorded it in the 10th century. By the 16th century it had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva, and by the 17th century it was developing as a slave market. In the first half of the 19th century alone, about a million Persians and an unknown number of Russians were enslaved and transported here before being sold. Many of them were used in the construction of the walled Itchan Kala, the most prominent feature of the historic city. The Itchan Kala includes buildings from the 12th century, but most of the palace buildings, mosques, madrasas, mausoleums and other structures date from 1780-1850, when the city flourished as a trade depot and fortress on the caravan routes through Karakum. Khiva is one of the best-preserved examples of Islamic architecture in Central Asia. The Kunya Ark complex includes the oldest building in Khiva, as well as 19th century edifices. The Djuma Mosque, dating from the late 18th century, contains more than 200 carved wooden pillars, some of which date from the 10th century. The Pahlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum, built to honor the 14th-century poet and wrestler Pahlavan Mahmoud, is considered the most impressive building in Itchan Kala.