Palwan Darwaza

One of the busiest places in medieval Khiva was the square at Palvan Darvaza, the eastern gate of the Ichan-Kala citadel in Khiva. The baths of Anushakhan and the one-story building of the Khojamberdy-biya madrasah were built here in the 17th century. The chain of buildings of the Palvan Darvaz ensemble also includes the Allakuli Khan madrasah, the tim (trading dome), the caravanserai, and on the other side of the square are the Kutlug Murad Inaka madrasah and the Tash-Khauli Palace.

The complex of all buildings was created as a vital necessity arose. The saturation of buildings was so great that some of them protruded beyond the walls of Ichan-Kala.

The Palwan Darwaza Gate itself, with loopholes and side towers, is located at the intersection with the city wall. The facade of the gate is decorated in the form of an arched portal, behind which a "dash heap" (stone street) stretches towards the city - a corridor blocked by a chain of six domes. Behind the entrance arch there is a multi–domed shopping gallery - "tim", on both sides of which there are merchants' shops and rooms of a small bathhouse.

At the entrance above the gate, there is a marble slab with the historical inscription "Shahri Khiva" (the city of Khiva) and the date of construction is 1221 AH (according to the Muslim calendar), that is, 1806. This is the oldest part of the building, which connects to the Anushakhan bathhouse. The construction of the gate was completed by Alla Kuli Khan in 1835. To the right of the gate at the exit from Ichan-Kala, until 1873, there was a slave bazaar, and in the niches of the gate, runaway slaves and rebels awaited their fate. Khan's decrees were also read out here and reprisals against criminals were carried out.

The gate is named after the poet and invincible wrestler Palvan (or Pahlavan). Mahmoud, who eventually became revered as a feast, that is, the patron saint of the city. "Palvan" means "Hero". The most magnificent mausoleum in the city has been built on the site of his grave behind the Juma Mosque. In addition to the gates, the main "aryk" (canal) of the city, which feeds Khiva with water, "Palvan–yab" is named in honor of Palvan Mahmud.