Uzbekistan part 2 - Khiva part 1
Jul. 2nd, 2011 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
graculusNext stop on my trip was Khiva, where most of our time was spent in the Itchan Kala, which is the walled inner city area - the current walls round the city are mudbrick, were built in the 17th century and at points reach a height of 10m (32 feet).
In Uzbekistan all historic sites belong to the state, but that doesn't stop people from using the slightest opportunity to sell stuff to tourists in the most unlikely of places - unless we're talking working mosques and madrassahs, the makeshift stalls are there and you'll see them in a number of the pictures to follow.
The view from the front doorstep of our hotel:
The statue of al-Khwarizmi:
If you're wondering who this thoughtful-looking guy is, he's credited as being the 12th century inventor of algebra and the term 'algorithm' is derived from his name. It's not clear if he was actually from Khiva, as Khorezm (the province) is bigger than just the city, but they're damn well claiming him!
The ubiquitous mudbrick, including a small bit of wall - more of that later!
The iconic tower - originally intended as a minaret proper, work on it just stopped, allegedly because the emir realised that if it was completed to the height intended, the muezzin would be able to see straight into the emir's harem.
Another angle on the tower:
A closer shot of the tilework:
The interior of one of the emir's halls - the area with all the tilework would be where the emir sat, if he was in residence, as it faces north and is therefore the coolest part of the building:
The ubiquitous tilework overload:
Part of the city walls:
More from Khiva tomorrow! :)
In Uzbekistan all historic sites belong to the state, but that doesn't stop people from using the slightest opportunity to sell stuff to tourists in the most unlikely of places - unless we're talking working mosques and madrassahs, the makeshift stalls are there and you'll see them in a number of the pictures to follow.
The view from the front doorstep of our hotel:
The statue of al-Khwarizmi:
If you're wondering who this thoughtful-looking guy is, he's credited as being the 12th century inventor of algebra and the term 'algorithm' is derived from his name. It's not clear if he was actually from Khiva, as Khorezm (the province) is bigger than just the city, but they're damn well claiming him!
The ubiquitous mudbrick, including a small bit of wall - more of that later!
The iconic tower - originally intended as a minaret proper, work on it just stopped, allegedly because the emir realised that if it was completed to the height intended, the muezzin would be able to see straight into the emir's harem.
Another angle on the tower:
A closer shot of the tilework:
The interior of one of the emir's halls - the area with all the tilework would be where the emir sat, if he was in residence, as it faces north and is therefore the coolest part of the building:
The ubiquitous tilework overload:
Part of the city walls:
More from Khiva tomorrow! :)
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Date: 2011-07-02 07:11 pm (UTC)