Kunya Ark Citadel

The translation of the name "Kunya Ark" — "old fortress" exactly corresponds to this magnificent structure in the heart of Khiva. The history of the city dates back more than two and a half millennia. In the 18th century, as a result of the invasion of Iranian troops, many of the original buildings were destroyed, and the survivors suffered greatly. Extensive restoration work was carried out here in the second half of the 19th century. In 1990, the historical part of Khiva — Ichan-Kala was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the first such site in Uzbekistan.

Surrounded from the outside by the Dishan Kala suburb, Ichan Kala is separated from it by impressive clay walls, about 6 m thick, reaching a height of ten meters. A second similar wall encircles the citadel of the ruler located inside, a kind of "city within a city" fortress called Kunya Ark. The fortifications were erected at the end of the 18th century, hiding behind them everything necessary for a comfortable existence in the event of a prolonged siege of the city, from government buildings to luxurious comfortable places designed for the entertainment of the khan, buildings to accommodate his family, advisers and military garrison.

The construction of the Kunya Ark fortress was started in the last quarter of the 17th century by the heir of Anush Khan. The Sheibanid dynasty, to which the first builder of the citadel, Khudaidad Khan, belonged, was suppressed in the next generation. But the construction of fortifications continued further, until the very middle of the 19th century, in the second half of which the works of restorers prevailed. In its original, slightly modified form, only a few buildings have survived to our time.:

    the eastern gate with a guardhouse attached to it,
    Kunya-Arkkurinishkhona (a kind of "reception room" of the khan inside the fortress),
    the powerful bastion of Ak-Sheikh-Bobo, one of the strongholds encircling the citadel during its construction,
    Mosques intended for prayer offerings in the warm and winter season,
    the Khan's harem.

The square, which stretches directly in front of the fortress walls, was intended for solemn parades and regular military exercises. Convicted criminals were executed here as a warning to their subjects. The Zindan (prison) was located nearby, right in the thickness of the eastern wall of the fortress. The Zindan chambers feature extensive expositions with sculptural groups vividly representing the interior, lifestyle and customs of that era.

To the left of the main gate are rooms intended for guards, craft workshops, stables, storage of supplies and equipment. A narrow long corridor leads from the gate into the depths of the citadel, from which it is easy to get to the courtyards around which there are:

     At the very beginning, there are rooms for the ambassadors, who are scheduled to have an audience with the bishop of Khiva.,
    Then there are the arsenals designed for the long—term defense of the citadel.,
    meeting rooms for Khan's advisers,
    and finally, the most spacious courtyard, the reception hall of Khan Kurinishkhon, which was previously adjacent to the palace, the buildings of which are now completely lost.

The oldest Kurinishkhona, built in the 80s of the 17th century, was destroyed during the Iranian invasion. The current layout is the result of the efforts of the builders of Iltuzar Khan, by whose order the khan's reception hall was restored in the middle of the first decade of the 19th century. The reception area includes a wide open-air courtyard, which is flanked from the west by the treasury, the Khan's library with priceless handwritten scrolls and the state archive. There are also rooms designed for relaxation.

An iwan stretches above the courtyard, an elevated ceiling supported by patterned pillars dotted with quotations from the writings of Ogaha, a famous poet and historiographer at the time. Next, the throne room opens under a decorated arched vault. A wooden throne was previously installed in the center, which is now located in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin. The throne is entirely covered with silver plates, on which inscriptions from the Koran are artfully interwoven among the floral patterns. A special yurt was set up in a rounded raised place in the middle of the courtyard to receive messengers from the nomad leaders. Thus, the khan paid special respect to the traditions of these tribes.

Opposite the door to Kurinishkhona, in the far courtyard of the citadel, there is an entrance to the harem, built here by Muhammad Rahim Khan towards the end of the 19th century. Next is the natural hill of Ak-Sheikh-Bobo, topped by a mud-brick bastion. The observation deck of this original structure offers a magnificent view of the entire territory of ancient Khiva.

At the same time as the harem, the khan established a mint where coins were minted from pure gold. At the same time, a customs office was established and the tax collection system was improved, in modern terms, a tax reform was carried out. Samples of money that have been in circulation in the khanate for four centuries can be seen in the mint. In addition to the minted metal money, there are rare copies of banknotes made on paper and silk, original money printing cliches, medals and other awards. The story compositions with mannequins show how the process of money production took place in ancient times.

Slightly later buildings are summer and warm mosques. The first one has a special grace, while the second one is not of significant interest as an architectural structure. The summer mosque is basically a spacious aivan, bounded by two parallel rows of columns. The Ivan leads to the mihrab, a special niche marking the location of the holy city of Mecca for worshippers. The steps of the minbar, the hill from which the preachers spoke to the audience, like the rest of the mosque's decoration, are decorated with majolica tiles. The shades are traditional for Muslim prayer halls: greenish, white, and blue-blue. The images are entirely ornate and elaborate floral ornaments. The doors, the pillars supporting the ivan, and the balcony railings are decorated with the most elaborate wood carvings. The whole structure resembles a wonderful casket with jewels of the East, and the unique color of the clay strongholds of the citadel surrounding the mosque creates a fabulous impression of being lost in the depths of centuries, at the origins of the local civilization.