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Khiva (Хива, خیوه; other names) is a district-level city of approximately 93,000 people in Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan. According to archaeological data, the city was established around 2,500 years ago.
In 1997, Khiva celebrated its 2500th anniversary.В. А. Булатова, И. И. Ноткин, Архитектурные памятники Хивы. (Путеводитель), Ташкент, 1972; Хива. (Архитектура. Фотоальбом), Л., 1973; Г. Пугаченкова, Термез, Шахрисябз, Хива, (М„ 1976). It is the former capital of Khwarezmia, the Khanate of Khiva, and the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic. Itchan Kala in Khiva was the first site in Uzbekistan to be inscribed on the World Heritage List (1991). The astronomer, historian and polymath,
/ref> (973–1048 CE) was born in either Khiva or the nearby city of Kath.
A traditional story attributes the name to one of the sons of the prophet Noah: "It is said that Shem, after the flood, he found himself wandering in the desert alone. Having fallen asleep, he dreamt of 300 burning torches. On waking up, he was pleased with this omen, he founded the city with outlines in the form of a ship mapped out according to the placement of the torches, about which he had dreamt. Then Shem dug the Kheyvak well, the water from which had a surprising taste. It is possible to see this well in Ichan-Kala (an internal town of Khiva City) even today."
Another proposal is that the name comes from the word Khwarezm, altered by borrowing into Turkic as Khivarezem, then shortened to Khiva.
The town is also known as , ; alternative or historical names include Orgunje, Kheeva, Khorasam, Khoresm, Khwarezm, Khwarizm, Khwarazm, Chorezm, and .
Russia annexed some parts of the Khanate of Khiva in the 19th century, vassalising it into the Russian protectorate. The last khan from the ruling dynasty was liquidated a century later, in 1919. Thus Khiva became the capital city of the new Khorezm People's Soviet Republic. The Khorezm oasis was converted into a part of modern Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in 1924.
The earliest records of the city of Khiva appear in Muslim travel accounts from the 10th century although archaeological evidence indicates habitation in the 6th century; by the early 17th century, Khiva had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva. The khanate was ruled by a branch of the Astrakhans, a Genghis Khan dynasty.
In the 17th century, Khiva began to develop as a slave market. For several centuries, the cities of Bukhara and Khiva were known as major centers of the slave trade, and the Bukhara slave trade, alongside the neighboring slave trade in Khiva, has been referred to as the "slave capitals of the world".Mayers, K. (2016). The First English Explorer: The Life of Anthony Jenkinson (1529-1611) and His Adventures on the Route to the Orient. Storbritannien: Matador. p. 121 During the first half of the 19th century, around 30,000 Persians and an unknown number of Russians, were enslaved there before being sold. A large part of them were involved in the construction of buildings in the walled Itchan Kala.
Following the Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917, a short-lived (1920-1924) Khorezm People's Soviet Republic formed out of the territory of the old Khanate of Khiva before its incorporation into the USSR in 1924. The city of Khiva became part of the Uzbek SSR.
Kalta Minor, the large blue tower in the central city square, was supposed to be a minaret. It was built in 1851 by Mohammed Amin Khan, but the Khan died and the succeeding Khan did not complete it.
The old town retains more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses, mostly dating 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.
Khiva was home to a number of madrassahs (educational establishments), one of which, Sherghazi Khan madrassah, still stands today. It was built in the 18th century by slaves and is one of the oldest buildings in Ichan-Kala, which is the center of present-day Khiva. Among the renowned students of the madrassah were the Uzbek people poet Raunaq, the Qaraqalpaq poet Kasybayuly, the Turkmen people poet and sufi Magtymguly.
The central hospital, polyclinic, maternity hospital, children's hospital, dental treatment center, central pharmacy, specialized clinics, and other medical facilities are available in the district. Historical and architectural sites in the area include :
the Sayd Alauddin mausoleum, the Pahlavon Mahmud Complex, the Juma Mosque, the Konya Ark, Oqshayx Bobo's Palace, Toshhovli Palace, Nurullabai Palace, Muhammad Aminxon Madrasah, Muhammad Rahimxon Madrasah, Islamkhodja Madrasah and Minaret, Olloqulixon Madrasah, Qutlughmurad Inoq Madrasah, Olloqulixon Caravanserai and its market, Anushakhan Bathhouse, Ak Mosque, Polvon Gate, Ota darvoza, Bogcha Gate, Tosh Gate, Dishan Kala, and more.
The town publishes the "Khiva-Sharq Gavhari" magazine (since 2001) and the "Khiva Tongi" district newspaper. The town is a prominent center for global tourism, attracting over 200,000 tourists every year, including nearly 7,000 international visitors. "O'zbekTurizm" national company operates in the town, and several private guesthouses are in operation.
A trolleybus line was established from Khiva to Urgench in 1997. Bus and minibus routes connect Khiva to Tashkent, Bukhara, Navoiy, Samarkand, Urgench, Qo'shko'pir, Yangiariq, Bog'ot, Hazorasp, and other major cities and population centers in the region.
The unique values of world significance include architectural monuments of Khiva, which has rightfully earned the title of "museum city".
The image of modern Khiva is mainly formed by the architecture of the period of Khiva Khanate of the late XVIII - early XX centuries.
But archaeological excavations underway here show that at the base of a number of relatively "young" remains of are ancient layers dating back to the III and even earlier centuries BC.
One of the main highways runs from the western gate to the eastern gate, along which the main monumental are concentrated.
From the observation tower of Ak-Sheikh-bobo Itchan Kala can be seen like in the palm of your hand. The unusual silhouette of the Kalta Minor minaret attracts attention, as if cut down to the middle.
Its massive trunk, exquisitely decorated with wide and narrow belts of glazed brick, indicates that it was conceived as a grandiose, majestic structure, the main vertical of the city.
But after the death of the khan, under whom the minaret was built, it remained unfinished, receiving the name of Kalta (short).
Very close to the Kalta Minar is the Muhammad Aminxon , the largest of the preserved buildings of higher theological educational institutions.
The peculiarity of its architecture is the twin hudjras - Monastic cell for living of . Belts of colored brick sets and majolica facings decorate the building wonderfully.
On the territory of Konya Ark (Old Fortification) there is the palace of Muhammad Rahimxon I with rich and unusual Interior design.
The walls of the hall are decorated with ganch carving with coloring. The neighboring two-storied building is a harem. There are many rich chambers, living rooms.
The Juma Mosque (X century, 1788) is amazing in its beauty. On the entrance doors the date of construction - 1778-1782 years is preserved.
But 210 of the mosque, supporting the roof, are much older - from XII to XV centuries. The columns are remarkable for their amazing slenderness, rich ornamental carving.
They were brought here from other ancient buildings, so many columns are unique and do not resemble each other.
At the gates of Polvon darvoza there is a whole ensemble of buildings. The main palace of Khiva khans Toshhovli occupies a special place here.
The architecture of its numerous apartments and decorative furnishings are unique. There are ornamental , majolica facings and figurative .
The palace of Kurnysh-khan was intended for lavish receptions. Once there was a wooden throne in the throne room decorated with silver chasing on a red background.
The building has a beautiful iwan with columns. The palace is also remarkable for its rich majolica wall lining with intricate ornaments.
The Pahlavon Mahmud Memorial Complex was built in memory of the revered Khiva poet, who after his death was canonized as the patron saint of the city.
Nearby is the 45-meter high Islomxo‘ja minaret topped with a through lantern with a dome on top. In the outer part of the city - Dishan qalʼa - there are also many ancient architectural monuments.
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