Khiva is a beautiful oasis city with ancient walls, minarets and unique clay buildings.
Khiva is over 2500 years old. If you want to plunge into history and see the true beauty of the ancient East, then welcome to Khiva.
The ancient Khiva is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It means that all the attractions are protected by the worldwide organization.
What you can see in Khiva:
The climate in Khiva is dry and desert-like. Summer is hot, but windy, and in winter the temperature very often drops below 0 °C, so do not forget warm things! You will definitely need them!
IIn Khiva, as well as in other cities of Uzbekistan, you can buy a wide variety of souvenirs. In addition, several interesting things can be bought only in the Khorezm region. For example, this is a handmade doll. On the territory of Khiva there is a puppet theater, which, according to conservative estimates, is about 2000 years old!
Therefore, the manufacture of puppets for performances dates back centuries, but the love of puppet shows has not died out so far. One of the main advantages of the Khorezmians is the hats “Chugurma”, which have been made since the ancient times. It looks quite bulky and heavy, but in fact, it is quite light and comfortable. The hat is made in such a way that it creates a special microclimate and thereby saves from overheating in the summer and protects from cold in the winter.
In the ancient times, such hats were very expensive. Their cost was equal to the cost of a camel and therefore only wealthy people could buy them. Now the price for it is much lower and fans of unusual hats definitely like it! On the territory of Khiva, you can purchase a variety of woodcrafts as well.
Local artisans create everything from tiny chess pieces to staves and carved doors! Whatever sophisticated taste you have, local artisans will be able to satisfy you.
The recipes is changing from region to region and if you taste the same dish in different cities, you will be surprised how much the taste varies! Khorezm cuisine is one of the most unusual in Uzbekistan, because the natural conditions are quite difficult there.
You can often find one unusual dish… It is called “tukhum-barak”, which literally translates as a boiled egg. What is unusual, you may ask? The finished dish resembles dumplings in shape, and its way of cooking is quite unusual. The dough is filled with a raw egg and before it leaks, is placed in the oven.
It is said that this dish was prepared for the khans before their visits to the harems. Fish is the culmination of the local gastronomic extravaganza. It is no exaggeration to say that the fish is prepared incomparably and even if you do not like seafood, you will not be able to resist the local fish. One of the iconic dishes is Shivit Osh or Green Lagman (noodle). Locals use dill to make noodles green.
It is served with katyk (sour milk) and meat in vegetable sauce. Follow the link to read more about Uzbek cuisine.
