Uzbekistan and unesco

UNESCO Sites in Uzbekistan: Itchan-Kala

Itchan Kala is the historical inner city of Khiva. Officially, the status of the “protected city” Old Khiva received in 1968. The fortress, palaces, mosques, madrasas, mausoleums and minarets, caravanserais and baths turned Itchan-Kala into a unique monument. The fortress town occupies an area of 26 hectares and is completely surrounded by a fortified wall of 2,200 m. There are 4 gates that overlook to all four sides of the world: Ata-darvaza, Tash-darvaza, Bakhcha-darvaza, Palvan-darvaza. The first thing that impresses with its majesty in Khiva is the huge walls of Itchan-Kala, which have been well preserved to this day as a rare example of medieval fortifications. The fortress walls are made of mud blocks, and their height reaches up to 10 meters. The whole fortress gives an impression of inaccessibility and intimidating power.

Ichan Kala with full confidence can be called an open-air museum. However, even in the 21st century, approximately 2,000 inhabitants still live in the town name in the northern and southern parts. The history of the city goes back centuries. The exact age of the city is difficult to determine even for scientists - it was built over the centuries, and according to some studies, Itchan Kalan has an approximate age of 2500 years. In 1511, when Khiva was chosen as the capital, the Khiva Khans settled here and built a residence as well as madrasas and minarets. With the growth of population, a second city appeared - Dishan Kala, also surrounded by a fortress wall. Thus, the city initially had 2 protective rings, however, only the inner part of the wall of Itchan Kala preserved till our days.