Uzbekistan Part IV – Khiva

Day 8: We set off early today and drive 450 kilometres to Khiva. With a couple of toilet breaks, photo opps and a lunch stop, it takes approximately 10 hours. Luckily there are just twelve of us on a full size, very comfortable coach so there’s lots of space to move around. The first couple of hours is on a very bad road so the journey is bumpy and it’s hard to read or type!! We travel through the Kyzyl-Kum (Red Sands Desert), the largest desert area in Central Asia. Eyes are peeled for wild camels but alas we don’t see any.

We stop to see the Amu Darya River and cross the main road, jumping over the barrier in the middle. I’m not sure this is an approved itinerary stop but we do it all the same! We are very close to the neighbouring country of Turkmenistan as the border runs through the river.

At a toilet stop along the way some women try talking to me in the loo and I realise they’re asking me where I’m from. They don’t seem to understand Ireland or Irelande so I have to resort to the old “beside England” which they seem to understand. They’re keen to have their photo taken.

We drive past cotton fields, where the cotton is still picked by hand.

Finally we arrive at Khiva which is a walled city dating from the 1700’s and we drive through the outer walls to our hotel within the inner walls.

On our way to drinks and to watch sunset from a roof terrace we see a man walking his camel home after a day’s work!

We get our first views over this unique city while sipping a glass of wine

Again we have a delicious meal for dinner – who said the food was no good in Uzbekistan.. we are having one delicious meal after another. Once it’s dark we take a walk around to the city at night with the lights on.

Day 9: We wake with the rooster and the first call to prayer and head outside to see the city at sunrise before the hordes descend.

The walls are what make this city look like a series of sandcastles:

After breakfast we have a full day exploring the city with our group. There is a three day festival starting tomorrow and there are stages around the town with rehearsals going on all over.

The turquiouse Kalta Minor Minaret, is a must-see and hard to avoid. It was commissioned in 1851 by Mohammad Amin Khan and was supposed to be built so high that you could see Bukhara but by 1855 the Khan had died and work stopped, leaving it unfinished.

Kuhna Ark which was the main fortress, overlooks the city and was once used as a patrol tower of the citadel.

We also visit the Khan museum in the Mohammed Rakhim Khan Medressa, the 17th-century Juma Mosque, the Islom-Hoja Minaret and Medressa (built in 1908 and the highest structure in Khiva), and the Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum complex (the Persian-style resting place of Khiva’s patron saint). So many places I really can’t keep track. The architecture doesn’t differ much but each are striking to visit.

We finish with the 19th century summer palace of Mohammed Rakhim Khan II, (the Tosh-Hovli Palace) set in orchards and surrounded by walled gardens, fountains and aywans. It’s in a state of disrepair and not as impressive as the emirs palace in Bukhara but it’s worth the journey outside of the walls so we can look back at the city.

We have a farewell meal tonight and enjoy the company of three staff from the hotel. One of the young girls sitting beside us is the daughter of the owners of the family run business and she really has her head screwed on. I’d love to come back in twenty years time and see if she’s ruling her hotel empire!

We leave Khiva early next morning for a flight back to Tashkent. It’s been amazing to see this unique and memorable city. Bye bye Khiva!