Ive only been here a couple of hours and already I'm blown away. I'll come back later and update but here are some pics for you.
Khiva is kind of on a side road of the silk road. It was a major slave trading post. Today it is a museum city. It has been over run by every man and his dog over the years and most of what is standing is from the last 400 years and some is only about 100 years.
To get here I had to take a share taxi from Urgench. The 35km cost me 75cents. I had a blue with the taxi driver cos he wanted $1 but I said "no way 75 cents is enough AND I want the front seat" There is no way I'm squashing in the back with 2 other stinky fat *******s when I will be paying the most. I got my way.
When I got here I came in through the wrong gate and couldnt find the hotel I was going to stay at. (i;ve been here a couple of days and still cant find it) I was walking around and saw a place I had looked at in the Lonely Planet and decided to try it. Granny Aprille you will be pleased to know I am staying at the best hotel inside the Ichon-Qala. They wanted a fortune for the room but I bargined them down to $25/night and throw in breakfast. The place is pretty nice, all wood carving, supposedly done by the owner in his back workshop.
Last night I met another Aussie couple just walking around so we had dinner together at a classy chaikhana which was a bit exe. I had bread roll, plate of food and 2 king browns and it cost me $7.50, thats expensive up this way.
Today I did a tour from the lonely planet so I can hoprfully put the right names on the pics if they load up.
Start at West gate, where you buy a ticket, and yes I did buy a ticket. The ticket lets you in most places in town and is good for 2 days. Some places even inspected the ticket.
First stop Kuhna ark, first built in the 12th century by Oq Shibobo. Inside is the Summer Mosque.
Mohammed Rakhim Khan Madressa and the courtyard where they beheaded cheating wives. I dont know why that practice ever stopped.
Kalta Minor Mineret, the short fat one. Started in 1851, it was never finished cos the bloke building it died. Had it been finished it would have been the tallest building in the world.
Sayid Alauddin Mausoleum dating from 1310, with a 19th century sarcophagus inside.
Quosi-Kalon Madressa
Juma mosque and mineret. The mosque was rebuilt in the 18th century using at least some of the original 218 wooden columns forn the 10th century. I climbed the mineret and the stars were soo dark it took longer coming down cos I was backwards looking for the steps.
Matpana Bay Madressa with a ratty museum of dead plants and tacky stuffed animals.
Abdulla Khan Madressa, Aq Mosqueand Ansha Khan Baths.
East gate where they held the slaves before the auctions.
Alloquli Khan Madressa (1835) and matching Kutmurodinok Madressa, facing each other. I will come back and get pics of these at night when they are lit up.
Alloquli Khan Bazaar and Caravanserai. This place, luckily, was closed, so I got a pic of the doors. I went in there yesterday and it is like walking into Toys R Us cos the place is still a bazaar today.
Tosh-Hovli Palace. This was Alloquli's residence so is pretty speccy inside so there are a few shots of the tile work.
Islom-Hoja Madressa and Minaret. Im coming back to take pics cos it was looking into the sun and I will climb the minaret.
Last place is Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum. This is the place under the big blue dome and inside is really amazing. The 1326 Tomb was rebuilt in the 19th century.
Then there are some random shots then I spotted our old mate Jenghis Khan had dropped in with a few of his mates so I took some photos. (they are doing a film here)
If this computer loads up I will post photos utherwise you will have to wait for a few days till I get to Bukhara.