At the eleventh session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baku, Khiva was declared the tourist capital of the Islamic world for 2024. Anyone who has walked through the gate at sunset understands why.
Ichan-Kala, the inner walled town, is small enough to cross on foot in twenty minutes and dense enough to hold you for two days. Because everything is contained, Khiva photographs unlike anywhere else in the country — particularly in the last hour of light, when the mud brick turns gold.
What to see
- Ichan-Kala — the walled inner town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Kalta Minor — the fat, unfinished, wholly turquoise minaret that became the city's emblem.
- Islam Khoja Minaret — climb it for the roofline of the entire oasis.
- Kunya-Ark — the khan's fortress and its summer mosque.
- Tash-Hauli Palace — courtyards of blue and white tile.
- Juma Mosque — a forest of carved wooden columns, some over a thousand years old.
How long to stay
One full day covers Ichan-Kala. Stay the second night if you want the town after the day visitors leave, which is when it is at its best. Khiva is reached by train to Urgench or by road from Bukhara across the Kyzylkum desert — a long drive, but a memorable one.
