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

Ata-Darvaza gate

This gate is located in the western part of Ichan-Qala and is considered as the main gate to enter the city. In the inner part of the gate there were 13 shopping malls, the covered market-chorsu. And on the right side of the gate Amin Khan Mohammad madrasahs(1855), the left side of the Khan's palace Ark (Kunya Ark) were located. Inside the gate the customs and sarrafkhana (rooms for money exchange) were placed. Extent of the construction and its size, structure, in accordance with the architectural capabilities were delineated in very acceptable norms. In order to make the building very steady the forms of the arches of the gate were arranged proceeding from weight of the loading falling on them. In a row of stacked bricks they put wooden beams; the load falling on the dome was distributed on several arches. In this method to install small domes bricks are laid in the form of "Davra" (circle) and "balkhi". At the same time the interior of the building is plastered. Length of the gate is 10 meters its width is 4 meters. In the gates there four main rooms were built initially and which were destroyed in 20`s of the XX century and in 1975 they were restored by Khivan masters - restorers in an authentic form. Shutters of gate are decorated with very graceful carved floral patterns "islimi" and geometrical ornament. Shutters of both gates in the central part are decorated with equilateral quadrangles (85 x 85 cm) of identical proportions and the sizes in which circles with the image of octagonal stars are inscribed. Inside the circle on the right sash written the Sura "Ikhlas" from the Koran inscribed in Arabic and on the left sash - "Kalima-i - Shahadat" with the words "La Ilaha Illallohu Muhammadur Rasululloh" - that is, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad - His Prophet." These gates had actually been installed at the entrance of the country palace-villa of Muhammad Aminkhana built in 1850-1851 in the village of Angarik. Two documentary photographs confirming this fact i.e. that they had been previously installed in the palace -villa of Muhammad Amin Khan are kept in funds of Ichan-Qala memorial estate of Khiva. On documentary photographs the first Uzbek cameraman and the photographer of Khorezm Khudaybergen Devonov imprinted an appearance of the gates before destruction of the palace-villa in the village of Angarik. Divanov specially photographed these gates at a short distance and at the bottom of the photo left his inscription "Villa of Muhammad Amin Khan in Angarik".As already stated above now these gates are the main entrance gates to the city.