Uzbekistan - Central Asia - page 201

sumptuous interior decoration, including
ceramic tiles, carved stone and wood, and
ghanch . Built by Allakuli Khan between
1832 and 1841 as a more splendid alterna-
tive to the Kuhna Ark, it's said to have more
than 150 rooms off nine courtyards, with
high ceilings designed to catch any breeze.
Allakuli was a man in a hurry - the Tosh-
Hovli's first architect was executed for fail-
ing to complete the job in two years.
Two separate entrances take you into two
separate wings of the palace. Don't miss the
harder-to-spot south wing, where the throne
room and a sumptuous aivan are located.
Islom-Hoja¨Medressa¨ MeDReSSA
(islom hoja; minaret admission 3000S; h 9am-
6pm) Walk south from the Abdulla Khan
Medressa to the Islom-Hoja Medressa and
minaret - Khiva's newest Islamic monu-
ments, both built in 1910. You can climb
the minaret . With bands of turquoise and
red tiling, it looks rather like an uncom-
monly lovely lighthouse. At 57m tall, it's
Uzbekistan's highest.
The medressa holds Khiva's best mu-
seum, the Museum¨of¨Applied¨Arts . It
exhibits Khorezm handicrafts through the
ages - fine woodcarving; metalwork; Uzbek
and Turkmen carpets; stone carved with
Arabic script (which was in use in Kho-
rezm from the 8th to the 20th centuries);
and large pots called hum for storing food
underground.
Islom Hoja himself was an early-20th-
century grand vizier and a liberal (by
Khivan standards): he founded a European-
style school, brought long-distance
telegraph to the city and built a hospital.
For his popularity, the khan and clergy
had him assassinated.
Pahlavon¨Mahmud¨Mausoleum¨ MAUSoLeUM
(islom hoja; admission 4000S; h 9am-6pm)
This revered mausoleum, with its sublime
courtyard and stately tilework, is one of the
town's most beautiful spots. Pahlavon Mah-
mud was a poet, philosopher and legendary
wrestler who became Khiva's patron saint.
His 1326 tomb was rebuilt in the 19th cen-
tury and then requisitioned in 1913 by the
khan of the day as the family mausoleum.
The beautiful Persian-style chamber un-
der the turquoise dome at the north end of
the courtyard holds the tomb of Mohammed
Rakhim Khan. Pahlavon Mahmud's tomb,
to the left off the first chamber, has some of
Khiva's loveliest tiling on the sarcophagus

and the walls. Tombs of other khans stand
unmarked east and west of the main build-
ing, outside the courtyard.
Isfandiyar¨Palace¨ PALACe
(Mustaqillik; h 9am-6pm) The Isfandiyar Pal-
ace (also called the Palace of Narallabay)
was built between 1906 and 1912, and like
the Emir's Summer Palace in Bukhara dis-
plays some fascinatingly overdone decora-
tions in a messy collision of East and West.
Despite being located just outside the walls
of the Ichon-Qala, admission here is includ-
ed on the two-day ticket. The rooms are
largely bare, allowing one to fully appreci-
ate the gold-embroidered ceilings and lav-
ish touches such as 4m-high mirrors and a
50kg chandelier. The harem, in case you're
wondering, was behind the huge wall to the
west of the palace and while it has been un-
dergoing renovation for years, there was no
suggestion of its imminent reopening when
we passed by.
T ¨Tours
The following guides offer tailored tours to
Khiva and the area nearby. They all speak
English, with the exception of Amon who
speaks French.
Ali¨Madaminov ( % [phone])
Amon ( % 719 80 50, [phone])
Anush¨Boltaeva ( % [phone])
Jonibek¨Roziev ( % [phone],
[phone]; [e-mail])
Muhammad¨Yunusov ( % [phone];
[e-mail])
Temur¨Madaminov ( % [phone])
4 ¨Sleeping
Negotiating often bears fruit at Khiva ho-
tels. You'll save money paying in som at
the Orient Star and Malika hotels; at most
others, it won't matter. Only the Malika ho-
tels, Asia Hotel and a few others stay open
from December to February. In high season
(April-June & Sept-Oct), it's a good idea to
book ahead, or you won't be able to stay in
the better options here, many of which are
booked up weeks ahead.
o Meros¨B&B¨ B&B $
( % [phone], 375 76 42; www.meroskhiva.
com; Abdulla Boltaev 57; s/d/tr US$20/30/40;
aW ) Staying at this gorgeous, family-
run place is an absolute treat: of the six
simple rooms, four have charming balconies