It takes roughly an hour to drive from Khiva to Biruniy and a further hour to get to Ayaz

Satellite image of Ayaz qala 1. Image courtesy of Google Earth.



Schematic plan of Ayaz qala 1.
Image courtesy of Associate Professor Alison Betts, University of Sydney Central Asian Programme.

The fort is rectangular in layout and extends for about 180m by 150m over the flat top of a limestone hill, which despite its low elevation still provides extensive views over the surrounding plains. The refuge is enclosed by two parallel walls, separated by about two metres. They had a maximum height of 10m. The inner and outer walls had a vaulted corridor running between – some of which can still be seen - supporting an upper rampart. Arrow slits in the outer wall provided archers with good views of potential attackers.