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Published: April 25th 2007
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We stayed inside the old wall, a small hostel with courtyard gardens, really nice and close to all the sights. the next day was a city tour with our guide for the rest of Uzbekistan, Jalol, really funny guy. Anyway I really love this city, all the sights are close by and really gorgeous architecture, but same as before, cannot be bothered remembering the names of places, i know i should make an effort but with the pace our group is trucking through different countries at the moment all i can do is send photos and maybe later take my time and name them. It was scorching hot and quickly the group wilted, I stuck on til the very last then had some good meal at a restaurant close by. Theres lots of tourists, some Japanese men looking silly walking about with the afro hat on, he looks stupid but can get away with it because he's a tourist. Claire asked me to check the Mongolian visa requirements so i have to get to internet but in Khiva so far I have found nothing of quality, and are all closed during the afternoon, found one open next to the minaret
but is quite slow.That night we have a dinner and cultural dance which was nice, quickly got bored after a few drinks and called it a night, my roomie Angus is not feeling so well, it could be some heat illness, a number of us have suffered from bouts of diarrhea, one gets better another one gets it, it's part of travelling we just have to try to be careful what we eat and prepare for the weather as well so as not to be heatstroked. I should be talking more about Khiva but I will let wikipedia give a better description, all I can say is it's a marvelous place, very charming and quaint, I have to see how Bukhara and Samarqand is before I declare it as my favorite ancient city in central Asia. The morning of departure for Bukhara I volunteered to do the market shopping and with the help of Steve and his fluency of the Russian language we again managed to get the freshest and hopefully well priced eats, it is so cheap here that with about $40 you can feed 22 people with plent to spare, i quite enjoy the market scenes and so
KHIVA
OLD WALL you will see more of them in this blog. The lady in the bakery whom i took a photo of gave me her address to send the photo only later when I showed it to Jalol did I realize it was her home not email address, my guess is not all are keen on using internet in this part of Uzbekistan just yet.
KHIVA:
(Uzbek: Xiva, Хива; Russian: Хива; Persian: خیوه 'Khiveh'; Alternative or historical names include Khorasam, Khoresm, Khwarezm, Khwarizm, Khwarazm, Chiwa, and Chorezm) is the former capital of Khwarezmia and the Khanate of Khiva and lies in the present-day Khorezm Province of Uzbekistan. Itchan Kala in Khiva was the first site in Uzbekistan to be inscribed in the World Heritage List (1991).
In the early part of its history, the inhabitants of the area were from Iranian stock and spoke an Eastern Iranian language called Khwarezmian.
The city of Khiva was first recorded by Muslim travellers in the 10th century, although archaeologists assert that the city has existed since the 6th century. By the early 17th century, Khiva had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva, ruled over by a branch of
the Astrakhans, a Genghisid dynasty.
In 1873, Russian General Von Kaufman launched an attack on the city, which fell on 28 May 1873. Although the Russian Empire now controlled the Khanate, it nominally allowed Khiva to remain as a quasi-independent protectorate.
Following the Bolshevik seizure of power after the October Revolution, a short lived Khorezm People’s Soviet Republic was created out of the territory of the old Khanate of Khiva, before its incorporation into the USSR in 1924, with the city of Khiva becoming part of the Uzbek SSR.
In the early part of its history, the inhabitants of the area were from Iranian stock and spoke an Eastern Iranian language called Khwarezmian.
The city of Khiva was first recorded by Muslim travellers in the 10th century, although archaeologists assert that the city has existed since the 6th century. By the early 17th century, Khiva had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva, ruled over by a branch of the Astrakhans, a Genghisid dynasty.
In 1873, Russian General Von Kaufman launched an attack on the city, which fell on 28 May 1873. Although the Russian Empire now controlled the Khanate, it nominally allowed Khiva
to remain as a quasi-independent protectorate.
Following the Bolshevik seizure of power after the October Revolution, a short lived Khorezm People’s Soviet Republic was created out of the territory of the old Khanate of Khiva, before its incorporation into the USSR in 1924, with the city of Khiva becoming part of the Uzbek SSR.
Khiva is split into two parts. The outer town, called Dichan Kala, was formerly protected by a wall with 11 gates. The inner town, or Itchan Kala, is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century. Present-day crenellated walls date back to the late 17th century and attain the height of 10 meters.
The old town retains more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses, mostly dating from the 18th or the 19th centuries. Djuma Mosque, for instance, was established in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1788-89, although its celebrated hypostyle hall still retains 112 columns taken from ancient structures.
ITCHAN KALA is the walled inner town of the city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. Since 1991, it has been protected as the World Heritage Site.
The old town retains more than 50
historic monuments and 250 old houses, dating primarily from the 18th or 19th centuries. Djuma Mosque, for instance, was established in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1788-89, although its celebrated hypostyle hall still retains 112 columns taken from ancient structures.
The most spectacular features of Itchan Kala are its crenellated brick walls and four gates at each side of the rectangular fortress. Although the foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century, present-day 10-meters-high walls were erected mostly in the late 17th century and later repaired.
INFO: COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA
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