Overview

Khiva city is situated at large oasis in the Northwest part of Uzbekistan. It is very ancient point of the Great Silk Road (the first record of Khiva was made in X c.). There is legend that the well which became the center of the first settlement at this place was dug by order of bibical Shem, son of Noah. In XI-XIII cc. Khiva was one of the largest centers of Khwarazmian dynasty state. In 1231 Khwarazmian state and Khiva city was devastated by Mongols. Then Khiva was a part of Timurid Empire. Small Khanate of Khiva created there after disintegration of Timurid Empire (XVI c.) during very long time was large center of slave trade. In 1873 Khiva was conquered by Russian Empire and became Russian protectorate. In 1919 during Civil War in Russia Khiva was occupied by the Red Army and Soviet power was declared there. As the result of national delimitation in the USSR territory of the Khorezm oasis was divided between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (1924) and Khiva became the center of Khorezm Region of Uzbekistan. Now Khiva is actually city from Oriental fairy-tales, a museum-city. There are no high buildings and wide streets there. There are places decorated with colorful mosaics, the adobe houses, many madrasahs, minarets, mosques in the old part of Khiva – Incan-Kala where all monuments of architecture are located.