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

Anushakhan's Baths

Anushakhan’s Baths were built during the reign of the Khan of Khiva Abulgazi (1603 - 1663 years) in 1657. Returning to Khiva after a successful campaign against Kermine, Abulgazikhan made a great feast and publicly acknowledged the merits of a son and to appreciate them, gave him the flag, timpans, the army, and granted Khazarasp (castle). Construction of the baths after Anushakhan apparently were also one of the favors rendered by Abulgazihan’s son, because he, at the end of his life, still being alive (aged 60), passed the throne to his son Anusha. Such action except Abulgazikhan, were not committed by any of the rulers, who ruled in Khorezm. After that, Khan retreated into seclusion, he wrote a lot of works.

Baths were built in somewhat complex plans, the entrance to the baths is through a small domed room, adjacent to the Ak-mosque. In order to keep the warmth, space of the baths is almost buried under the ground, visible only from the outside of the dome. Inside the baths there were entrance corridor, a room for clothes (cloakroom), the soap room (soaping room), steam room, swimming pool with hot water, stokehold (gulah). Connection facilities betweenthe baths repeats the order of the ancient baths. In front of the boiler room with a fireplace (gulah), which heated baths, there is preserved a well. Water entered through the channels going in a big vat, hot gases from the boiler room via special channels went under the floor of the premises and the heating bath and then through the chimney went through the wall outlet to the outside. Four rooms, set around a swimming pool with hot water provide water through openings in the walls. The area of the deeprooms is located in such a direction that the soap (dirty) water through the room located at the bottom flowed into special holes. The rooms inside the baths were covered with the little window, done at the top of the dome, built of burnt brick, there are no interior decorations in baths. The walls and the surface of the dome smeared with water-resistant mixture (in dialect "Hajj", which was prepared by mixing saline soils, located on the shores of lakes, using special techniques. It was known as the white and black Hajj (type of ganch), and was used in the construction of ancient buildings in Khorezm. And today this kind of old plaster has not lost its value). To make the rooms small, craftsmen used the dome in the construction of, which had a simple structure.
According to ancient legend, told by old-timers about the birth of Anushakhan, about his nickname Anusha, Abulgazihan before the accession to the throne, Crown Prince fell in love with a Circassian slave-girl named Anush. But due to the fact that he had not yet come of age, he could not marry her. Years passed Abulgazi got married and had ten sons. But he didn’t have a daughter. He has long suffered from mental anguish, thinking that when the died, he would leave behind him his daughter, who would mourn his passing. Once, when his wife was pregnant, Abulgazi went hunting. Before leaving, he promised that the one who will tell him about the good news of the birth of his daughter would be generously rewarded with a gift (suyunchi). But the boy was born again. However, the midwife made a trick, and reported that the daughter was born, took from Khan a gift for the glad tidings (suyunchi) and dressed him as a newborn little girl. Abulgazihan in honor of his first love, gave the name Anusha to the newborn. After some time, "Anush" grew up in a big boy, but still continued to dress like wimen, because he was told the stories about him, and he also gave his word not to disclose secrets. Once, Abulgazihan was captured in war with Bukhara, in one of the battles. Bukhara’s khan put him in the zindan (dungeon). And at this time in Khiva between the older brothers of Anush there was the struggle for mastery of the Khan's throne. Anusha heard about the incident with his father, went to the Khan of Bukhara, had asked him to release his father from captivity. Bukhara Khan, seeing the beautiful young girl, who from such a distance, from the distant Khiva came with a request to grant freedom to her father, relented. But he made him such a condition, saying: - "If you marry me, I will make your father free." Anusha agreed, in response to the condition of Khan. Bukhara Khan commanded to release Abulgazikhan and lead to him. Abulgazihan having understood the position, almost fell through the ground of shame. - "I'd rather be dead than see such thing, quickly return back home" - he commanded. Anusha in response, said: - "Before you will be desd, let them kill me first, I will not go back." And Abulgazihan was released from captivity. After that Anusha asked the Bukhara Khan saying: “you freed my father, but from your words you should notrefuse as well. I now reveal to you and my fathera secret ''. He took off women's clothes and said that in fact he is a young boy, and told about the event of the past. The both khans froze in astonishment. Bukhara’s khan kept his word, showed mercy to his father and the son sent them home. Coming to Khiva Abulgazihan said the following words - "I am sorry that I have no daughter, but it turns out I have not one, but ten daughters and only one son," - and handed the throne over to Anushakhan, adding: - "let it be the crown of your throne "- and he built baths in the name of Anushakhana.
It is well known that the bath is very large for a human necessity, even three thousand years ago in ancient Rome baths were considered not only a place where humans purified their body, but also a place for healing and prevention of the emergence of various diseases. The fact that the baths have a very great benefit on human health are well known in Iran, China, India, the land of Turan and built baths in the cities, which constantly served population. There is historical evidence that in the early XVII century in the noble Bukhara there were eighteen baths. During this period there were two ones in Khiva. But we can assume that there were many more.
The first ancient bath was located near Palvan Darvaza and had a very simple structure, only one dome of the washbay built underground was seen out of the ground. These baths served the people of the city for a long time. Also there also were baths of Anuskhahan.
Khiva baths’ appearance represents a unique architectural structure, the type of construction is radically different from other baths of the East. One part of the building is in the ground, washing facilities are also located in this way. From the outside only upper dome part of the building is visible. In the baths there were about twenty rooms, the people were served by five servants. They were two attendants, a person in the boiler room, and two meshkobchi (water carriers). Inside there was also a barbershop serving customers. In the baths strict procedure for washing was established, on Thursday (Payshanba) stately persons of noble birth, Khan and his friends bathed, on Friday (Juma) ulems (the tip of the Muslim clergy), religious leaders, and in the remaining days - the urban population and those who came with villages. The khanate was in charge of the haths, and they have also been provided with waqf lands. Women, children, people of other faiths and those with skin diseases were forbidden to wash in the baths.
Different waste collected from households living in the inner part of the city was used to heat the baths; kizyak (dried dung of cattle, horses, donkeys) was burned in the boiler room of baths. This in turn allowed to keep the territory of the city and the air clean. The rooms were heated by special pipes running under the floor of the baths, there was a fresh room, with the well located near the water, which was used as a reserve. All the accommodations are arranged around a large central room which performed a somekind function. If in some rooms one could wash, or warm up with hot steam, in other areas medical massage sessions were carried out. In the East, the hot steam was used for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, foot-articular diseases. Tabibs (healers) knew the massage techniques, they knew that the massage has great benefits in the treatment of nerves, blood vessels, pain, arising in different parts of the body. Tabib looked at it not as a massage tool, delivering peace, but as a means of treatment. This kind of healing was performed continuously. Besides the baths had a special room where the tooth disease was treated, they tore teeth. In Khiva dental treatment was developing since ancient times.
In rural areas, tooth extraction was performed by masters- blacksmiths, barbers. In addition to the treatment, in baths of Anushakhan, apart from pulling the teeth of patients, patients with disease "hafaqon" (blood pressure) were also taken blood. This results in the patient's normal blood pressure. Treatment with this technique has been a tradition in the East since ancient times.
In baths of Anushakhan customers not only bathed but also inmproved their health, rested. Inside the baths there was a teahouse for customers with all the conditions for their vacation, in a conversation over a cup of tea. Here in a specially allocated room teahouse except tea, medicinal tinctures from the roots, leaves, fruits, flowers and herbs were prepared. Trade of healing potions was carried out here. Baths of Anushakhan at one time rendered selfless service to the population of the city, there would be no exaggeration to say that they were also a kind of specialized hospital of its time. Currently baths are restored and continue to provide its intended service to the population of the city and tourists.
Exterior and interior of the baths, their history and traditions associated with them arise the interest of foreign tourists and guests of our city.