A city of two distinct sides, Khiva’s dual characters lie between and beyond its ancient crenelated walls. In the fortress of Itchan Kala, UNESCO heritage dominates with historical and architectural monuments; this is where buzzing marketplaces laden with spice and silk and slaves would once have bubbled up in the wake of caravans trailing the all important old Silk Road. In Dichon-Qala, outside the boundaries of the 6^th century bulwarks, the lingering remnants of Soviet rule pepper a modern land of apartment blocks and leafy parks.

Start your tour of this ancient Khorezm city by asking your Khiva tour guide for a walking route that encompasses the wondrous arabesque creations in the heart of town; from the majestically beautiful Juma Mosque with its carved interior pillars of ancient timber, to the formidable City Gates and the blue-tiled prayer rooms of the Kunya Ark and the newer Tash Khauli palace. Then, be sure to tour the various madrassahs that abound, where the twirling outlines of traditional Uzbek dancers can still be spied out in the courtyards, or engage in the legendary hospitality of the Khiva locals with a jaunt to an earthy homestay eatery, where shuit ashi and tukhum barak accompanied with generous servings of pilaf reign supreme.