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

Reception Ceremony of Khan of Khiva

Reception ceremonies of Khans, demonstrating the power, grandeur and wealth of the Khans, were designed to give to those who came to the palace the feeling as their hopes and aspirations and goals are irrelevant compared to Khan's attire, ceremonial ornaments. According to Orenburg regiment lieutenant Dmitry Gladyshev who arrived to Khiva in 1740, Khan sat in the tent among aral lords and officials. Khan was sitting at the place of honor in the back of the tent, on either side of him were about forty nobles of Khiva. Arrived in Khiva in 1757 with the purpose of exploration, translator Gulyaev tells of reception ceremony.- "On the sixth day of February I was taken to the yard of Khan, and held in a room where he was sitting, yasaul informed him of my arrival. I knelt in front of him on his knees and his hands, he touched my right shoulder, then yasauls escorted me to the door, he told me to wait. Han asked me, "Are you well, the ambassador? Your visit is a blessing for us! - After that, I did not say a word, without spending a lot of time, yasauls carried me to my room. "

According to descriptions of the ambassador, who was in the waiting room of Rahimkhan Muhammad I (1806 - 1826), the path from the gate to kurinishhona passed through three yards. In the first courtyard near palace gate the ambassadors were expecting admission of Khan, in the second - seven guns stood mounted on carriages, and in the third, meetings were held Khan's divan (kengash) that is, the board, and finally, after the corridor the largest yard kurinishhona was located. A.Vamberi in 1863 arrived in Khiva dressed like dervish and in his memoirs about the reception at the Khan mentions wrote the following. "At the next day yasaul came with a small gift from khan and told me about his behest, that I should come back tonight to the palace. Because kushbegi was not there, I was met by mihtar. I welcomed him according to the custom. I waited a while, then two yasauls carried me honorably (to the khan), the curtain went up and I saw in front of me the Khan of Khiva. He sat on a high place like a terrace, leaning his left hand on a round pillow, made of velvet. In accordance with the advice given me by bai, holding a scepter (the staff of power), I raised my hands in blessing. Khan and all the presentpeope, joined me too, and raised their hands in blessing. After that, I read a short sura from the Koran, and after the usual (Kalima) words said "Amen." When I ciame closer to Khan, he stretched both his hands hands and after "musafeh" and (bow, recommended by many) I made some steps and this reception ceremony was over. "
At that time the khan of Khiva was Seyyed Mohammad Khan. According to old-timers of Khiva Arzu Abdullayeva, P.Matchanova, I.Vaisova, Khan of Khiva was trying to hold the reception each day, taking into account the wishes of the people. Sometimes reception was held in a very dubious, serious and formal setting.