Dedicated to the memory of our mentor Saburdzhana Yusupov, who with his interesting stories and tales taught us to love the motherland, native nature, our favorite city Khiva

The area at the entrance of Kun-Ark: was the site of military parades and military exercises. In the middle of it there was a "special place" for the punishment of state criminals. The fourth, the fifth, the first day of the week after the half-day prayer (Peshin) heralds (dzharchi) loudly proclaimed the people about the execution. Then, bringing prisoners from zindan located next to the walls of the palace in the middle of the square people were shown a relatively vivid punishment of persons who were to be executed, also showed people and penalty was executed in the middle of a slave market, which existed in the city until 1873. In the past, at the entrance to the palace from two sides of the gate there were two guns. On February 2, 1920 the Khan of Khiva Sayyid Abdullakhan abdicated and the formation of Khorezm People's Soviet Republic (KhPSR) was announced.
After independence of Uzbekistan, the area became a venue for various international events and celebrations. In 1994, in this area celebration of the 150th anniversary of Mohammed Rahimkhan Feruz was conducted , on October, 20-21, 1997 - the celebration of 2500 anniversary of the city of Khiva. Currently, all the festivities are held here.
Entrance gate of Kunya-ark is located on the east side of the palace, it was restored in 1972, based on engravings, photographs of the early twentieth century. The gate is a rectangular building, covered by a dome. In the middle, there is a passage paved with burnt square bricks of 6.8 m length, on both sides of which there were guardrooms. The main facade portal of the composition consists of two hudjras, drawn up in front of the corner guldast -turrets. The overall dimension of the gate is 13 x 8.5 meters. Domes of towers of gates are decorated by majolica master potter from the village of Madyr Xonqa District, Rahimberdi Matchanov master.
A skillful master ceramist-ornamentalist (nakkash) of Madyr Rahimberdi Matchanov, continuing the tradition of Khiva majolica masters school, has a leading role among the Khorezm ceramics. His work, pure receptions are allocated with brightness of expression. Blue tones are leading in his works.
Rahimberdi Matchanov was born in the Madyr village, which was one of the centers of ancient ceramic craft in 1909, in a family of potters. At that time, the village had 27 potteries, where more than 80 ceramists worked. The son of Matchan Kulal, Rahimberdi learned from his father the secrets of pottery. He learned firing majolica from famous masters of that time - Balta Matrizaeva, Balta Vaisova. Rahimberdi within 6 years mastered the secrets of the art of pottery, and received a blessing from Eshim Kulal. After that, he began to produce his own dishes, applying patterns on majolica. In 1930 Rahimberdi went to work in a cooperative guild and continued the occupation of pottery. At that time, many potters moved away from work for absence of work, so there were very few of them. During his work on pottery, master both perfectly mastered the secrets of the art of ornamentation and used them in ceramics.
In Khorezm mouth Rahimberdi’s name is compared to a fertile tree. Because he brought up and educated many students who learned the secrets and mysteries of that craft. Of those Zaripov Kul Latipov, Davron Sadullaev Amin Mirzayev, Maryamdzhon Matchanov, Mukarramah Sadullayev, Sultanbay Atadzhanov are currently making a major contribution to the development of artistic ceramic arts of Khorezm.
Merits of ceramist master in the restoration of historical monuments are great. In 1956, he participated in the restoration of the mausoleum in the city of Pakhlavan Makhmud in Khiva. He made majolica tiles in blue (for outer parts), except that in 1972 he participated in the restoration of majolica cover of the two towers of the entrance gate Kunya-ark and other architectural monuments of Khiva.
Taking into account the long-term work, merits of the master, he was awarded many state awards and medals, in 1979 he received the title of Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic, in 1997, State Prize of Kamaladdin Behzad, and in 1999 - the republic's president IA Karimov praised the work of the master with his award for the design of the memorial sites of Al-Khorezmi and Abu Rayhan Biruni with majolica for the celebration of 800 anniversary of Jalaladdin Manguberdi. Currently the products by master Rahimberdiev Matchanov are exhibited in museums in the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Khiva.