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

The 6th to 8th century medieval fort of Ayaz qala 2 overlooked by
the much older 4th and 3rd century hill-top fort of Ayaz qala 1 on the right.

Ayaz qala is located in a desert region of Ellikqala tuman on the eastern side of the Sultan Uvays Dag mountains. In the first millennium BC this was an oasis watered by the southern part of the Akcha Darya river. Ayaz qala Lake, which was once part of the Akcha Darya river bed, lies to the north of the Ayaz qala site. It is a good spot for swimming and birdwatching and supports a nesting site for terns during the summer. 

Excavations
There are three Ayaz qala monuments:

• 
  Ayaz qala 1, a defensive refuge dating from the 4th or early 3rd century BC, located on the top of a flat hill,
  

• 
  Ayaz qala 2, a feudal fort probably dating from the 6th to the 8th century AD, and
  

• 
  Ayaz qala 3, a fortified garrison and refuge, mainly dating from the 1st to 2nd centuries AD.