| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 View of Itchan Kala | |
 Interactive map of Itchan Kala | |
| Location | Khiva,Uzbekistan |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iii), (iv), (v) |
| Reference | 543 |
| Inscription | 1990 (14thSession) |
| Area | 37.5 ha (93 acres) |
| Coordinates | 41°22′42″N60°21′50″E / 41.37833°N 60.36389°E /41.37833; 60.36389 |
  Itchan Kala Location of Itchan Kala in Uzbekistan  Itchan Kala Itchan Kala (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
Itchan Kala (Uzbek:Ichan-Qаl’а) is the walled innertown of the city ofKhiva,Uzbekistan. Since 1990, it has been protected as aWorld Heritage Site.
The old town retains more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses, dating primarily from the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries. Juma Mosque, for instance, was established in the tenth century and rebuilt from 1788 to 1789, although its celebratedhypostyle hall still retains 112 columns taken from ancient structures.
Notable buildings in Itchan Kala areKonya Ark,Juma Mosque,Ak Mosque,Hasanmurod Qushbegi mosque, madrasahs ofAlla-Kulli-Khan,Muhammad Aminkhon, Muhammad Rakhimkhon, Mausoleums ofPahlavon Mahmoud, Sayid Allavuddin,Shergozikhon as well as caravanserais and markets.[1]
According to the legend, the clay from this area was used to build sites inMedina during theProphet Muhammad's lifetime; and the lake (which appeared later) is also considered to be sacred.[2][3][4] In another legend, it is said that the sacred water channel ofKhiva, known as the Xeyvak Canal, was dug byShem, the son ofNoah, who was said to have a miraculous spade.[4] Similarly, according to the tales, the construction ofKhorezm began withShem.[2][3][5]
InKhiva, the city is divided into two parts in the traditional way: the Inner City (Itchan Kala) surrounded by the Inner Defensive Wall, and the Outer City (robod) known asDishan-Qal'a, surrounded by the Outer Defensive Wall.[6][7][8]
The walls of the Itchan Kala are 8–10 meters high, 5–6 meters thick, and have a total perimeter length of 6250 meters. Both the outer and inner defensive walls are made of mud bricks.[2][3] At intervals of every 30 meters along the inner city walls, there are watchtowers that project outward. The upper part of the walls features crenellations for shooting at enemies during times of conflict. Water-filled moats were part of the defensive system, and remnants of these can still be seen in the southern part of the city, while in the north and west, ancient clay pipes were used to cover the moats.
The city gates were also an integral part of the defensive system.[6][8] The remaining gates areBogcha Gate (North),Polvon Gate (East),Tosh Gate (South) andOta Gate (West). They demonstrate that they were equipped with "zarba" towers on both sides of the passage, and galleries above the gate. The gates themselves often led to arched passageways, and if the road was particularly long, they featured multiple domes.
The history of the construction of architectural monuments in Itchan Kala is mainly divided into 4 periods:
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