Khiva, Uzbekistan: Itchan Kala, Silk Road Trade, and the City’s Hidden History

devanandpaul
26 minutes ago
7 min read

Khiva, in Uzbekistan, is one of the best-preserved ancient Silk Road cities in Central Asia. In this travel guide to Itchan Kala I explore the monuments, Silk Road trade routes, and slave trade legacy of Khiva, Uzbekistan’s walled city.

Itchan Kala is the ancient inner town in Khiva city (‘kala’ means ‘fortress’ in Uzbek). Walking into Itchan Kala, you feel as though you are stepping back into the era of the khanate. Narrow streets wind between mud-brick buildings, and heavy wooden doors open into homes built around private courtyards. Much of the city still appears much as it did centuries ago.

The khan and his entourage inside Itchan Kala (a historical re-enactment)

Itchan Kala: The Walled City of Khiva

Within Itchan Kala, the old city spans about 30 acres. Its outer fortifications rise more than 10 metres high and are 6 to 8 metres wide, with walkways on top. The walls run about 2.2 kilometres and have four main gates.

Fortified walls of the ancient oasis city of Khiva, with walkways on top

One of the entrance gates to Itchan Kala

Inside, buildings are tightly packed, leaving little open space within the city walls. Amidst this dense urban layout stand nearly 50 madrasas, mosques, minarets, caravanserais, two palaces, numerous tombs, public squares, and market streets. Most of these major structures are arranged along a single street that runs across the city.

Packed buildings inside Itchan Kala, Khiva

Written records trace Khiva back to the 5th and 6th centuries CE; however, most of the structures surviving today in Itchan Kala were built between the 17th and 19th centuries, during the height of the Khiva Khanate. Enclosed within the fortified walls, Itchan Kala served as the centre of power, religion, and learning. Beyond it lay Dishan Kala, the outer city of Khiva, home to traders, craftsmen, and workers along the caravan routes. Protected by walls and multiple gates, Dishan Kala formed an additional layer of defence; much of it, however, was dismantled during the Soviet period.

Itchan Kala entrance and the fort walls (night view)

Top Monuments in Itchan Kala, Khiva

When you enter the western gate of Itchan Kala, the Kalta Minor stands straight ahead. Commissioned by Muhammad Amin Khan in the 1850s, it was intended to become the tallest minaret. Construction was halted, however, after the ruler was killed in battle in 1855, leaving the minaret unfinished, at 29 metres, instead of the planned 70 metres. The minaret’s 14.5-metre-broad base is covered with blue, turquoise, green, and white glazed tiles. Its unfinished form led to its name, Kalta Minor, meaning ‘short minaret’.

Next to Kalta Minor lies the Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasa, built between 1851 and 1854. Its façade is decorated with majolica—coloured glazed tiles—arranged in geometric patterns. Designed to accommodate more than 250 students, the building has a large courtyard with two levels of hujras, or student rooms. Students learned astronomy, geography, history, along with religious studies. After completing their education, many entered administrative service in the khanate.

Majolica tiles, from the island of Majorca, spread across the Islamic world, valued for their cool colours in desert climates.

During the Soviet period, religious education was restricted, which led to the conversion of the madrasa into a hotel—its student cells became guest rooms, and the mosque was repurposed as a restaurant.

Further ahead stands Kunya Ark, the earliest palace of the khans of Khiva. Built in the 17th century as a fortified residence inside the city, it had nearly everything required to administer the khanate—reception halls, a mint, mosques, stables, a prison, and private quarters. In its ceremonial hall (the Kurinish Khana) the khans received ambassadors, settled disputes, and handled matters of the state. The inside of this hall is decorated with carved ganch (a traditional Central Asian plaster made of gypsum and clay) panels featuring intricate floral patterns, and the roof is supported by wooden columns.

The entrance of Kunya Ark, the fortified palace of the khans of Khiva

Kurinish Khana, the ceremonial hall inside Kunya Ark

Carved ganch (plaster) panel with floral designs that adorns the ceremonial hall

A mint factory replica during the Khanate period

Tash Khauli Palace was built between 1830 and 1838 under Allakuli Khan. The name ‘Tash Khauli’ means ‘stone house’ in Uzbek. The palace includes reception halls, private living quarters, and a separate section housing the harem, with rooms arranged around courtyards. The interiors feature carved wooden pillars, painted ceilings, glazed tile panels, and intricate plasterwork. Historical accounts note that construction progressed slowly because of detailed craftsmanship, and that workers who missed deadlines reportedly faced harsh punishment.

Rooms around the courtyard, Tash Khauli Palace

Painted ceiling and glazed tile panels inside the Tash Khauli Palace

Religious Architecture in Khiva’s Old City

The next monument inside Itchan Kala is the 10th–18th-century Juma Mosque, boasting 212 carved wooden columns, some of which date back several centuries, and a few are believed to have been reused from earlier buildings. The columns feature unique carvings and inscriptions from different periods. The mosque has no windows, and light enters only through openings in the ceiling, leaving the interior dimly lit. The place is no longer used for regular prayer.

Nearby stands the Islam Khoja Minaret, the tallest structure in Khiva, at about 57 metres. Built in the early 20th century, the minaret features the Khivan architectural style with its coloured glazed tile bands, but its height and slender form resemble the taller minarets of Bukhara. You can climb the narrow spiral staircase to the top—the view of the entire layout of Itchan Kala is spectacular.

Not far from the minaret lies the tomb of Pahlavan Mahmud (1247–1326), one of Khiva’s most revered spiritual figures. He was an Iranian poet, philosopher, wrestler, and craftsman, and is remembered today as the patron saint of Khiva. He is believed to have worked as a furrier, or leather craftsman, and was buried in his workshop after his death, as per his wish. Over time, his grave became an important pilgrimage site, and the modest tomb was gradually developed into one of the city’s most significant religious monuments.

View of Itchan Kala from the Islam Khoja Minaret: Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum, Kalta Minor, Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasa

Khiva and the Silk Road

For over a thousand years, Khiva served as a key transit stop on the northern routes of the Silk Road across Central Asia, which skirted the Caspian Sea, passed through the Karakum Desert, and linked Central Asia with Europe.

Traders halted here to prepare for the desert crossing to reach Persia. They bought food, water, and fodder, repaired saddles, harnesses, and carts, and stayed in caravanserais, which housed travellers, animals, and goods. Trade and caravan traffic were important sources of wealth for the city.

Traders at Khiva, a major Silk Road trading hub (a representative image)

A caravan sculpture at the Itchan Kala entrance reflects this past. Bactrian camels, with their twin humps and ability to endure harsh climates, were ideal for those arduous journeys.

Slave Trade in Khiva: A Hidden History

In ancient and medieval societies, soldiers—and later, civilians as well—captured during wars were imprisoned and forced to work. As settlements expanded and the demand for labour increased, this gradually evolved into organized slavery. What began with war captives morphed into a trade in which non-locals, especially people of other religions or Islamic sects, were enslaved and sold.

Between the 17th and the 19th centuries, Khiva was a major slave trade centre in Central Asia. Turkmen, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz groups raided into Persian and Russian territories. Most of their captives were civilians—villagers from frontier settlements, and traders and pilgrims travelling across the desert.

Silk Road slave trade (a representative image)

They were brought to Khiva’s markets and sold. Their price depended on age, strength, skills, and origin. Once sold, they were assigned to work in irrigation projects, construction sites, or households. Children were allocated simple labour or domestic tasks. Young women and girls were often taken into elite households as servants or concubines. Nineteenth-century historical accounts suggest that tens of thousands of enslaved people passed through Khiva’s markets over time, many of whom were kept within the khanate as labourers. Large projects, including the Tash Khauli Palace, were built in part with enslaved labour. This system ended in 1873, when the Russian Empire conquered Khiva and abolished slavery.

Life of slaves in Khiva (a representative image)

Khiva Today: Inside Itchan Kala

Today, Itchan Kala, the fortified inner town of the ancient oasis city Khiva, is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Properties in the old city are typically passed down through families. Even minor alterations to the buildings require government approval. Owing to such tight control, many residents have converted parts of their old homes into guesthouses, workshops, and souvenir shops, allowing them to earn a living while preserving the historical character of the buildings.

Old houses inside Itchan Kala converted to guest houses and souvenir shops

Curious and friendly schoolchildren, along with their teacher, we met at Itchan Kala

Itchan Kala—a good example of Islamic architecture of Central Asia—is a complex labyrinth of monuments and structures, so we engaged the guidance of Sevinchoy Ozodova (+998 919948958), a school teacher and guide. Many thanks, Sevinch, for making the 5-hour tour of Itchan Kala fun and interesting.