Beautiful Khiva, a museum city, has always been divided into two parts: Itchan-Kala and Dishan-Kala. Itchan-Kala is an inner part of the city, located inside Dishan-Kala. And if the inner part has preserved its original appearance in many respects, only a small portion of the outer part has remained, and as for the majestic city gates, only three have survived to this day: Kosh-Darwaza, Khazarasp-Darwaza, and Gandimyan-Darwaza.
The total number of gates in the past was 10. The names of the gates indicated the city with which this road from Khiva is connected:
The defensive wall was erected here in 1842. The raiding visits of Turkmen tribes bothered Allakuli Khan heavily, regularly stirring up rebellion in the Khanate, and it was decided to fence off with the wall. The wall was erected in 3 years, and the Khan obliged the workers to work 12 days a year for free.
The wall’s length is more than five and a half kilometers, and the height varies between 6-8 meters depending on the site. The clay for the construction, as well as for the walls of Itchan-Kala, was mined a couple of kilometers from the city in the place where the lake Govuk-Kul is now located. The inner and outer parts of the wall were built of handmade bricks. The clay was mixed with straw, soaked, and when the straw began to secrete sticky matter, the bricks were formed from this composition, dried in the sun and then used for construction.
Not all gates appeared simultaneously – they were cut through the walls as needed. Passage through the gates became fee-based because of the many caravans that crossed Khiva. In addition to the fact that the caravaners were trading here, they could also stay to rest, replenish food and water or provide care for pack animals. The city thrived, so it always caused envious views of neighbors.
Canaan Travel is happy to open the beauty of Uzbekistan to travelers all over the world. Wonderful Khiva will amaze you with its ancient attractions that have survived from the depths of centuries. Welcome to the magical East!