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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

5/19/2010 -5/20/2010


Shot Minaret, Khiva

Ichan Qala, Khiva

Pumpkin Filled Manti, Khiva

Naan Maker in a Tandoor, Khiva

Ichan Qala, Khiva

The city is a mueseum. Khiva, an old city that once functioned as a caravanserai, a resting stop for travelers of the silk road to drink, rest, and sell their goods, is a place of wonders. When you enter the gates of this city you are immediately transported into the times of old. The sand colored bricks, the fortress walls, the minarets and bizarres, all come to life as you step into this time portal. Here the past, the present and the future seem to meld into one and with a little imagination, the boy dressed in a soccer jersey and adidas sneakers stands next to a Chinese tradesman selling silk textiles to a Turkish merchant, and an ancient scene is recreated.

To get to Khiva, we took a flight from Tashkent to Urgench. From their we took a bus and drove an hour to our hotel, which was located right next to Ichan Qala, which translates to old city. Once the group was settled we gathered our cameras and belongings and headed out with our new guide, Mastura, to the Khiva, Ichan Qala. Mastura is quite a woman. Boisturous, energetic, out spoken, and a Sufi, she definitely enriched our experience in Uzbekistan. For every historical reference we got an anecdote. For every religious tale, we recieved a Sufi explanation. Her manner really, to some extent, reminded me of my older Aunts from back home. Same manner of gesticulating with her hands, same spirit, and worry over how much we all have eaten. Same warm hospitality.

We entered through the north gate to the city and the first thing to hit you was the immense dryness of the air. The city arises from what once must have been a desert like climate, providing an oasis to those walking along the silk road. Walking through the gate we saw a large group of Uzbeks dressed in suites. As we turned around we realized that a wedding procession was on its way to entering the gate. The bride, dressed in a very modern western white dress floated in on the arm of her husband. All tourists, workers, moved to the side walls of the gate to let them through. We were all mesmerized by this procession, not only by the very westerness of her dress but the sheer magnitude of people accompanying her through this ancient fortress.

As they passed us by we moved to our first destination; the shot minaret. This minaret is made of beautiful layers of blue tile. Never finished, its current height bespeaks of what it should or could have been had it been fully constructed. Various legends surround its creation, but none really resonate. Everything in the city is made of the sandy color brick in enormous sizes, and every inner oasis, inside home, is made of the same torqouise or variation of blue tile to decorate the home. Inscriptions of prayers and blessing in Arabic or Persian script can be found in these decorations and each one, though seemingly the same, varies in design and detail.

We visted quite a bit during this day. We saw the Muhammad Amin Madrasa, Mahmud Mausoleum, Islam Khoja Minaret, Tash Hauli Palace, Juma Mosque with 200 wooden pillars, and ate lunch at a national chaixona. By the evening, everyone was exhausted and awestruck from the heat of the city to the awe inspiring architecture and general wisfulness of the atmosphere.

After a light dinner, where in Mastura and I compared Uzbek traditions to Azeri ones, the group split into those willing to see Khiva at night and those too tired to do anything but sleep. I opted to see nightime Khiva and am so glad I did. The night air, cool and wonderful against my dry skin was the perfect way to see this ancient city dark and lit up by specially placed lightening. The sky was clear and stars could be seen above us. Children with their mothers who earlier this day were selling their products in the bazaar were sitting outside their homes drinking tea or telling stories and the men stood in separate groups playing Nardi, backgammon, or watching passersby. It was the perfect way to end my time in Khiva, the ancient Central Asian city of the Silk Road.

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