One highlight for which no ticket is needed is the walk along the northwestern section of the Ichon-Qala wall. The stairs can be accessed at the North Gate and are a great place to be at sunset. The 2.5km-long mud walls date from the 18th century, and were rebuilt after being destroyed by the Persians.
© Ozbalci/Getty Images
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.23 MILES
This palace, which means ‘Stone House’, contains Khiva’s most sumptuous interior decoration, dense with blue ceramic tiles, carved wooden pillars and…
0.31 MILES
This revered mausoleum, with its sublime courtyard and stately tilework, is one of the town’s most beautiful spots. Pahlavon Mahmud was a poet,…
0.26 MILES
This fat, turquoise-tiled minaret was begun in 1851 by Mohammed Amin Khan, who according to legend wanted to build a minaret so high he could see all the…
0.2 MILES
Khiva's Ichon-Qala is one of the great highlights of Uzbekistan. The perfectly preserved medieval walled town is home to dozens of mosques, medressas and…
0.22 MILES
To your left after you enter the West Gate stands the Kuhna Ark – the Khiva rulers’ own fortress and residence, first built in the 12th century by one Ok…
0.2 MILES
At the back right corner of the throne room in the Kuhna Ark, a door in the wall leads to a flight of steps up to the watchtower, the original part of the…
0.33 MILES
It's possible to climb this 57m tall minaret, Uzbekistan's highest, for fine views over the old city. Morning light offers the best views. With bands of…
0.32 MILES
Walk south from the Abdulla Khan Medressa to the Islom Hoja Medressa and minaret – Khiva’s newest Islamic monuments, both built in 1910. You can climb the…
Nearby Khiva attractions
0.03 MILES
The northern Bogcha-Darvoza was one of four main gates giving access to the Ichon-Qala.
0.2 MILES
At the back right corner of the throne room in the Kuhna Ark, a door in the wall leads to a flight of steps up to the watchtower, the original part of the…
0.2 MILES
Khiva's Ichon-Qala is one of the great highlights of Uzbekistan. The perfectly preserved medieval walled town is home to dozens of mosques, medressas and…
4. Mohammed Rakhim Khan Medressa
0.21 MILES
East of the Kuhna Ark, across an open space that was once a busy palace square (and place of execution), the 19th-century Mohammed Rakhim Khan Medressa is…
0.22 MILES
To your left after you enter the West Gate stands the Kuhna Ark – the Khiva rulers’ own fortress and residence, first built in the 12th century by one Ok…
0.22 MILES
The small, low-slung building to the left of the entrance outside the main Kuhna Ark fortress is the Zindon (Khans’ Jail), with a simple display of chains…
0.22 MILES
The Isfandiyar Palace (also called the Palace of Nurullabay) was built between 1906 and 1912, and like the emir’s summer palace in Bukhara displays some…
0.23 MILES
This palace, which means ‘Stone House’, contains Khiva’s most sumptuous interior decoration, dense with blue ceramic tiles, carved wooden pillars and…