western Uzbekistan

I'm just back from an amazing week in western Uzbekistan. I flew to Urgench/Khiva, then travelled by car to Nukus, in the semi-autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan. Over the next few days, I'll be adding more photos and information.

Khiva

Khiva's claim to fame (other than being on the Silk Road) was its thriving slave trade (when you walk through one of the city gates, you can still see the niches where the slaves were held during the market). It was one of the khanates that was coveted by the Russians and the British during the years of the 'Great Game' throughout the 19th century. Eventually the Russians won, and Khiva was absorbed into the Russian empire, and eventually the Soviet Union.

To get to Khiva, you can take the train from Tashkent (20 hours) or fly (1 1/2 hours) to Urgench. At Urgench, you are met by eager taxi drivers. I was travelling with two small families, so we split into two cars for the 40 minute drive to Khiva.

Khiva was a walled city, and the original town (Ichon-Qala) is still contained within the walls. Walking around this part of the city is very much like visiting a living, breathing open-air museum.

 

When we first arrived in Khiva, the taxi drivers took us to the wrong hotel (at the east gate). There is no vehicle traffic within the walls, so we hiked our bags through the town to correct hotel, at the west gate. My friends had triple rooms, and I had a single. It turned out that the rooms were the same size; the triples just had three beds squeezed in!

The lobby of the Hotel Malika Khiva.

You do NOT come to Khiva (or honestly, anywhere in Uzbekistan) for the food. We were all famished by the time we were settled into the hotel, so we set out to find some nourishment. We stopped at a tea house that offered cappuccino, tea, and food. We all settled onto a tapchan and excitedly ordered our lunch. My cappuccino was very weak instant coffee with foamy milk on top. First indication of the problems to come. When we were served with hot bread, we all dove in. 13 year-old Iona yelped, 'Ooh, it's moldy!' Her mother reprimanded her for being so dramatic, saying it was probably just a dark spot. 10 year-old Dora chimed in, 'No, it's really blue, Mom.' Yup, the bread was covered in mold. Yum. After that disaster, we switched to the other tea house in town, Farouk's. It became our meeting-point and general hang-out for the next three days in Khiva. There were 3 other restaurants in town; one was only open our final evening in Khiva, one was in a hotel. One restaurant didn't have a menu; the servers just told you what was available (plov, pumpkin soup, chicken). Someone had advised me to bring peanut butter to Khiva. I needed it. 

Faces of Khiva

 

Streets of Khiva

 

Treasures of Khiva

 

Juma Mosque

 

Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum