KHIVA

Population: Over 40,000. Khiva reminds of caravans, barbarous times and adventure travels via deserts and steppes with tribes inspiring fear. And today it is an area of 35 kms to the southwest of Urgench. Khiva is an extraordinary place. Its historical heart unlike other Central Asian cities is kept intact. Certainly, one day is enough to see the sights of Khiva; however, you discover new features of it if you stay here longer. Morning and evening is the best time for sightseeing. If you are short of time, first of all, take a look at minaret Kalta Minor, Kuhna Ark, Juma Mosque, Tosh Khovli Palace, Islom Khoja Medressa and the Mausoleum of Pakhlavon Makhmud.

Of course, the majority of buildings here are transformed into museums, but there are active mosques too. Legend goes that, long time ago Shem Ibn Noy was wandering with his tribe in Karakum desert. One day he saw a dream of thousand soldiers marching on dunes with torches in the hands. Awakening from sleep Shem asked people to build a hill of sand to mark the place where he saw a dream. Suddenly, he got thirsty and he disposed to dig a well there. Having found fresh water, people exclaimed "Khey-vah! Nice water in the well!". So city was built around the well. As a result, it was named Khiva. It is possible to look at the well itself on Abdulla a Boltol Street, 107, in northwest part of the old city.