BBC Travel: Khiva - the Silk Road city most tourists miss

01.03.2024 169

The website of the British broadcasting corporation BBC Travel published an article entitled “Khiva: a city on the Silk Road that deserves more attention.”

The article notes that Khiva is an oasis on the Silk Road, radiating a unique atmosphere of antiquity, but unfairly located in the shadow of Bukhara and Samarkand.

The publication also states that all roads in the small city of Khiva, surrounded by the Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts, lead to a fortress known as Ichan-Kala. Within the walls of this fortress is everything worth seeing and experiencing: more than 60 cultural sites, medieval mosques and luxurious palaces, as well as many museums, souvenir shops and craft workshops.

BBC Travel recalls that Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva formed the Silk Road trio in what is now Uzbekistan: “From about 130 BC to 1453 AD, this region of Central Asia saw the exchange not only of silk and spices, but also of all sorts of ideas and philosophies . There is archaeological evidence that Khiva has existed since the 6th century AD. It became one of the trading centers of the Silk Road and acquired even greater importance in the region in the 17th century, when it was named the capital of the Khanate of Khiva.”

As part of the Silk Road program, UNESCO describes Khiva as a center of education, science and culture, serving as the cradle of civilizations spanning millennia. “Before Ichan Kala became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, the government relocated residents outside the fortress walls to preserve and restore monuments that had fallen into disrepair. Today, Ichan Kala is a charming city within a city and a living museum that has been recreated in the open air to display regional history.

The publication quotes the CEO of Voygr Expeditions, an expedition company specializing in tourism in Central Asia, Behzad Larry, who describes Khiva as “a living artifact among the desert expanses” and “an ancient city that beckons travelers to return to the past.”

“He explained that the design of Ichan Kala provides visitors with the opportunity to explore its attractions in depth, as well as interact closely with the local community,” the article notes.

An article about Khiva on the portal www.bbc.com can be read by following the link: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240219-khiva-the-silk-road-city-most-tourists-miss

Source: https://uza.uz/