Khiva in one day: Itchan Kala, madrasas & craftsmen

The guide meets you at the main western gate. Itchan Kala is a living city with 2,500 residents — the entire area is just 650×400 m.

• UNESCO World Heritage since 1990
• Everything is close — 5–10 min. on foot between sights

The largest madrasa in Khiva (125 cells). Next to it stands Kalta Minor: the khan died and construction stopped at 26 m.

• The widest minaret in Khiva: 14.2 m at the base
• The turquoise glazed tiles are almost entirely intact

213 wooden columns from different centuries — no two are alike. It stays cool inside even in the height of summer.

• The oldest columns date from the 10th–11th century
• The interior feels like a forest of wooden pillars

A 3rd- or 4th-generation master crafts doors, columns and jewellery boxes. Traditional Khorezm ornament is purely geometric.

• Handmade jewellery boxes — a great souvenir

Three courtyards: the harem (163 rooms), court of justice and reception hall. The finest tilework in all of Khiva.

• The harem courtyard is the most richly decorated
• Carved plaster and glazed tiles — exceptionally delicate handwork

A cosy teahouse inside the fortress walls. Khorezm plov is cooked differently — the rice is prepared separately.

• Mantyshy — Khiva-style dumplings
• Lagman noodle soup and shurpa — prepared the local way

The tallest minaret in Khiva (built 1910), 118 steps. From the top terrace you see all of Itchan Kala and the Kyzylkum Desert.

• The last major monument built under the khans
• The climb takes ~5 minutes — 118 steps

Hand-knotted carpets with geometric patterns — each takes three months or more to complete. Then ceramics and copper-chasing.

• Handmade vs machine-made carpets — your guide will show you how to tell the difference
• Khorezm ceramics: terracotta clay with blue ornament

The mausoleum of a 13th–14th-century folk hero. A blue dome, a quiet courtyard and the poet's verses on the walls.

• The khans of Khiva all wished to be buried beside him