Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Qala are OK but gouge you on food and
especially beer. Leave the Ichon-Qala and
prices suddenly halve.
chicken tabaka,
plov
and beef
laghman
, but
be prepared for some communications dif-
ficulties - no English is spoken and barely
any Russian for that matter!
o
Ogahiy¨Fish¨Restaurant¨
FiSh $$$
(carp per kg 22,000S;
h
9am-10pm)
This charm-
ing place is wrapped around a couple of
ponds, among vineyards in a bucolic spot
3.5km northwest of Isfandiyar Palace. Take
marshrutka 2 from the trolleybus stop and
get off at the large blue sign saying Ogahiy
Bogi, from where it's a 500m walk down a
sideroad to the restaurant. A taxi from the
Ichon Qala will cost around 4000S one way.
Once there the friendly staff will fry up some
fresh carp for you, keep the cold beer com-
ing and make you feel right at home.
Ekvator¨
NighTCLUB
(Mustaqillik;
h
noon-midnight)
This bar-cum-
club would have the builders of the 1912 Nu-
rullaboy Medressa that it occupies rolling in
their graves. It has a cavernous interior and
a dance floor that occasionally comes to life
on weekends.
3
¨Entertainment
Fashion¨&¨Traditional¨¨
Dance¨Show¨
TRADiTioNAL DANCe
(admission 15,000S;
h
first show 4pm)
The Fash-
ion & Traditional Dance Show takes place
in the Allakuli Khan Medressa four times
nightly in the high season, every hour from
4pm. Book tickets through the tourist infor-
mation office or at the gate, and be sure to
ask for a discount, which is often granted to
individual tourists.
7
¨Shopping
Souvenir and craft shops line the streets of
the Ichon-Qala and are wedged into many
attractions. The best quality is to be found in
the Kutlimurodinok Medressa, which con-
tains several handicraft workshops as well.
Khiva¨Silk¨Carpet¨¨
Workshop¨
CARPeTS
(www.khiva.info/khivasilk; Pahlavon Mahmud;
h
9am-6pm Mon-Fri)
Apprentice carpet mak-
ers hand-weave silk rugs patterned after
Khiva-style majolica tiles, doors and mini-
ature paintings. There's lots of natural-dyed
silk hanging around and you can watch
women work the looms. During the high
season, there's usually an English-speaking
guide on hand to give you an introduction
to the processes used.
5
Ichon
-
Qala
o
Khorezm¨Art¨Restaurant¨
UZBeK $$
(Allakuli Khan Medressa; mains 5000-7000S;
h
9am-10pm;
vE
)
Charmingly located in
a low-lit and cosy stone building with a
bamboo roof, local handicrafts and pho-
tography on the walls, the Khorezm Art
Restaurant is definitely one of the best
choices in town. Yes, the service can be er-
ratic (if always well-intentioned) and yes,
it's a popular spot for tour groups, but din-
ner on the terrace can't be beaten and the
menu, which includes fried dumplings,
a delicious carrot salad and an excellent
pumpkin soup, is very enticing indeed.
Bir¨Gumbaz¨
UZBeK $$
(Pahlavon Mahmud; mains 7000-15,000S;
h
9am-
10pm)
Rather overpriced (you're paying for
the premium location, with superb Kalta
Minor minaret views from the terrace), this
place serves up tasty Uzbek standards and
offers hookahs and even real coffee. There's
an inside dining room if you're in Khiva
during the colder months.
Kheivak¨Restaurant¨
UZBeK $$
(islom hoja; mains 6000-8000S;
h
9am-11pm;
WvE
)
The Malika Kheivak hotel has a
pleasant sun-dappled courtyard covered
with traditional
tapchan
and tables. It's a
very handy spot for lunch in the Ichon Qala,
even though the food is nothing special and
service can be frustratingly relaxed.
5
Dishon
-
Qala
Dilnura¨Cafe¨
UZBeK $
(opposite Koy-Darvoza; mains 5000S;
h
10am-
11pm)
Well worth the short walk out of the
east gate to enjoy unique Khivan specialities
such as
fityi
(small meat pies with Uzbek
spices),
turkhum barak
(pasta with eggs),
shurva
(meat soup) and
shivit oshi
(meat
over noodles embedded with dill). Walking
out of the city's East Gate, it's on your left
after you pass a small mosque on your right.
Chaixana¨Rustamboi¨
ChAiKhANA $$
(Tinchlik; mains 6000-10,000S;
h
9am-10pm)
Op-
posite Khiva's West Gate and yet remarkably
almost tourist free, this unpretentious place
packs in the locals for drinks and simple,
filling meals. Choose from dishes such as
