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Asia / Uzbekistan

Xiva.

Places to go. A little room to wander.

A local view near Xiva, Uzbekistan
A local view near Xiva, Uzbekistan. Photograph by Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized proportionally, EXIF orientation applied, converted to high-quality WebP (quality 92); no content edits.

THE SHORTLIST

A few places worth your time.

01Culture · DAY 1 IDEA

Xiva

Tash Chauli

This is the new palace of the rulers of Khiva. Tash Chauli means "palace of stones". It was built in the first half of the 19th century during the reign of Khan Allakuli. The palace has more than 160 rooms, 5 courtyards and a strong wall with many round towers. The Harem's Courtyard is also surrounded by high brick walls with towers. It is the oldest part of the building and is rectangular in plan. It is paved and has a well. The door to the palace and the entrance are very narrow.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
02Culture · DAY 1 IDEA

Xiva

Kutli Murad Inak Medressa

The medressah was built in the beginning of the 18th century. It has 81 pupils' cells. It was one of the wealthiest schools in Khiva and possessed a lot of lands. It corresponds the traditional type of medressahs of the 17th and 18th century. The galleries with arcades, the round towers at the corners and the economical use of glazed tiles remember the traditions of architecture in Khorezm. It has a beautiful carved wooden door with floral and geometric ornaments.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
03Culture · DAY 1 IDEA

Xiva

Khan Allakuli Medressah

The Hungarian traveller Vambery reports that it was the second biggest medressah in the city. It had 99 cells and the pupils were well taken care of. It has the biggest and most beautiful facade and the biggest and most beautiful portal of Khiva. The high Pishtak with deep portal niche is decorated with finely ornamented blue tiles and decorative white inscriptions. The lecture rooms (dershane), the mosque and the library (kitab khana) are situated in the first floor. The courtyard is surrounded by pupils' cells in two stories.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
04Culture · DAY 2 IDEA

Xiva

Khan Anush Mohammed's Bath

The building with a dome beside Ak Mosque is called Khan Anush Mohammed's Bath. The main part of it is subterranean in order to keep the walls steadily warm. It has all the comforts of an oriental bath: vestibule, dressing room, lavatory, basin, well with cold water and floor heating. It is considered as one of the most interesting secular buildings of the 17th century in Central Asia.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
05Neighborhoods · DAY 2 IDEA

Xiva

Mohammed Rakhim Khan Medrassah and Square

If you were to be executed during the khan's rule, it was probably going to happen in the center of this once-busy square. The medrassah is mostly dedicated to its namesake, the Khan Mohammed Rakhim who managed to keep Khiva independent from infiltration by British and Russian forces until the late 19th century. On the south side of the square is a tiny, but interesting museum dedicated to traditional music.

Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source

A note before you go. Start with Tash Chauli, then decide whether Kutli Murad Inak Medressa deserves a separate visit rather than rushing both. The suggested days are an editable grouping, not a timed tour. Visit allowances exclude transfers, meals and queues; confirm the exact entrance and current visiting arrangements for Mohammed Rakhim Khan Medrassah and Square before setting off.

Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.

BEFORE YOU SET OFF

A more practical kind of plan.

Getting your bearings

There are no taxis in the Ichon Qala, however it is so compact it's easy to take a leisurely stroll. Outside the walls, Khiva is still a very walkable city. You can access the main bazaar, either through the Caravanserai through the Ichon-Qala east gate or you can walk around the Ichon-Qala walls on the north side until you see the produce sellers sitting near the western wall. A few of the better authentic Uzbek restaurants lie within a half-kilometre of the Ichon-Qala walls as well as some great beer stands.

Build a route that makes sense

Tash Chauli and Kutli Murad Inak Medressa are about 0.1 km apart in a straight line. Use the route link to compare the actual streets or transport connections before putting both in the same morning; the measurement is not a walking distance or a transfer estimate.

A LITTLE STRUCTURE. ROOM FOR DISCOVERY.

Your Xiva plan.

Add a few stops, choose your days, and leave space between them.

My saved trips
Location, map & reference details

Find your bearings.

Country
Uzbekistan
Area
Xorazm Region
Time zone
Asia/Samarkand
Coordinates
41.3856, 60.3641

Geographic reference: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0.

Xiva

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Visitor information & sources

Reference credits & reuse

This city guide includes selected, abridged material by Wikivoyage contributors, adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. The adapted guide text is available under the same license; photographs and website design retain their separate terms. Selected and abridged reference descriptions; operational prices and timetables omitted. Elsewhere added the shortlist, geographic grouping and planning notes.

Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. It is community-edited background, not firsthand reporting or a live opening-hours service.

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