Khiva dates to the sixth century. Its earliest inhabitants came from nearby Iran. Turkic speakers became the majority, and ...

At the start of the 20th century, there were nearly 170 mosques and madrassas in Khiva. Not all survived, but many are still available to visit. Photograph by Ingmar Björn Nolting, National Geographic ...

Khiva’s rich history and perfectly preserved architecture have long been difficult to reach—but no more. See how this UNESCO treasure is opening up to the world. At the start of the 20th century, ...

Once an important oasis welcomed by weary travellers – and equally feared for its reputation for ruthless slave trading – Khiva is undeservedly overshadowed by Bukhara and Samarkand. In the small town ...

As part of our visit to Khiva in Uzbekistan, Postcards took a look at one of the ancient city’s beautiful palaces, Tosh Hovli. It’s a labyrinth of rooms and courtyards, including a harem, right in the ...

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The rhythmic sound of chisel meeting wood has echoed through Khiva’s streets for centuries. Artisans carefully carve ornate motifs into ...

Khiva looks like a city of the desert. Its ochre colours have envelopped me since the first time I walked through the little lanes of the old city, Ichan Qala (literally ‘inner city’). Nevertheless, ...

The horizon stretches out for so far and for so long that the sky seems to bend like a stretched bow. Looking west over the city walls of Khiva, it's easy to imagine a guardsman watching out for ...

The Silk Road city of Khiva in Uzbekistan is often described as a living museum. Well-preserved streets, mosques made of baked mud bricks and majestic fortress walls evoke the spirit of the Silk Road ...

Though separated by miles of desert and mountains, Yazd and Khiva each offer their own unique glimpses into the past, with architectural wonders that tell stories of resilience, faith, and artistry.

Itchan Kala is the inner town (protected by brick walls some 10 m high) of the old Khiva oasis, which was the last resting-place of caravans before crossing the desert to Iran. Although few very old ...

Legend has it that Khiva was founded by Shem, son of the biblical Noah, which might explain why this walled city in western Uzbekistan is laid out in the shape of an ark. Archaeologists agree that ...