Khiva

The route to Khiva  (a minor fort on a side branch of the silk route) is extremely bumpy due to the Kyzylkum desert sands being blown across the road, this desert is expanding towards Bukhara.  Major road works are being carried out and funded by the Chinese so they can get their trucks through quickly or for?

Our home for the next 2 nights is at the former Muhammad Amin-Khan madrassah in the historic inner city of Khiva (IchanKala), we are staying in the hujras, small windowless cell rooms used by the students to study but very comfortable. 

Our guide Mohammed had a great sense of humour and was very enthusiastic (unlike our previous guide here in Uzbekistan). He showed us around the main sites in the old walled city giving us an overview of the history of the place, seeing the ancient palaces, minarets, madrassahs, mausoleums and mosques.   Most of the buildings have been preserved as museums. 

The Juma mosque is very interesting and has 218 wooden columns dating back to the 10th century. 

The  unfinished minaret 'Kalta Minor Minaret' adjoins the madrassah we are staying in. 

Tosh-Hovli Palace meaning stone house has elaborate decoration and originally had more than 150 rooms and 9 courtyards. 

The Islom-Hoja minaret at 57m tall was built in the 20th century, I decided not to climb it !

There was a number of weddings taking place, it's the season for them explains our guide
'the people have time and money after the harvest'.  As the bride and grooms walk through the city, they greet one another, the brides bow to each other to wish good luck, the grooms shake hands, it's so delightful to watch. 

Bus loads of tourists descend on the city during the day. There is a single camel in town purely I think for show and is quite tacky which is a shame and detracts from Xiva's charm.   

Slightly out of season, with everyone gone, it becomes a ghost town at night and all is quiet again, now you can really feel the atmosphere of this special place.