Khiva

Khiva and the importance of the Great Silk Road

Khiva, one of the best-preserved historical cities in Central Asia, is an impressive relic of the Great Silk Road, the global trade network that has linked East and West since ancient times. As part of the historical region of Khorezmia, Khiva was an important trading and cultural centre that attracted merchants, scholars and travellers from all over the world. Even today, the imposing city walls, caravanserais and madrasahs bear witness to the city’s glorious past.

Khiva as a centre of trade
During its heyday, Khorezmia was one of the most important centres of international trade. Khiva was strategically located on the Great Silk Road and served as a hub for trade between the Volga region, India, Persia and the Middle East. From here, caravans travelled on to East Turkestan, China and even Mongolia. The trade routes stretched across the Cuman steppe to Saxin, an important trading town at the mouth of the Volga, and on to the Russian principalities and Europe. Recent archaeological research has identified further caravan routes from Khorezmia to Mangyshlak and from there by sea to the Lower Volga region. This proves that Khorezmian merchants controlled a large part of the trade between Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

The Great Silk Road: a trade and cultural exchange
The Great Silk Road was much more than just a trade route; it was a cultural lifeline that facilitated the exchange of knowledge, religions and ideas. This transcontinental connection between Europe and Asia has existed since ancient times and ran from Rome to the ancient capital of Japan, Nara. The Silk Road did not consist of a single route, but of a network of trade routes that branched out like the crown of a huge tree.

One of the main routes led westwards from the old Chinese capital of Chang’an, crossed the Tian Shan and reached the Fergana Valley and the oasis of Tashkent. From there, various routes led to Samarkand, Bukhara and Khorezmia, from where the caravans travelled either to the Caspian Sea or onwards to Bactria and India. Trade was further favoured by the discovery and exploitation of semi-precious stone deposits in Central Asia. Lapis lazuli, nephrite, carnelian and turquoise from this region were highly prized trade goods.

Silk was the most valuable commodity and was coveted throughout the known world at the time. In the Middle Ages, silk was even a favoured currency and replaced gold as a means of payment in some regions. In Sogdia, for example, the price of a horse was equivalent to ten cuts of silk. It was used as a means of payment for mercenaries, as payment for labour and could even be used to pay fines.

The role of Europeans on the Silk Road
The Venetian merchant Marco Polo was the first European to document the Silk Road and report on the wonders of the Chinese empire. It was not until 1877 that the term ‘Great Silk Road’ was officially introduced by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen when he published his fundamental research on China.

In addition to trade goods, cultural and religious ideas were also spread along the Silk Road. Scholars, missionaries, explorers and warriors travelled the caravan routes for centuries, contributing to the mixing of cultures and the passing on of knowledge.

The revitalisation of the Great Silk Road
In order to preserve the cultural heritage of the Silk Road, a long-term programme has been developed in cooperation with UNESCO to revive this historic network. In 1994, several nations adopted the ‘Samarkand Declaration’, which aims to preserve the heritage of the Silk Road for future generations and promote intercultural exchange.

Khiva: a city with two faces
Khiva was traditionally divided into two parts: the city centre and the outer city. The historic city centre, Ichan-Kala, is now a unique open-air museum that preserves the image of an oriental city from past centuries with its well-preserved mud-brick buildings. This area covers around 30 hectares and has a rectangular layout.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Khiva was further expanded within the Ichan-Kala fortress and surrounded by a massive mud wall. This protective fortification had a height of 8 to 10 metres, a thickness of 6 to 8 metres and a total length of more than 2,200 metres. The walls were reinforced with semi-circular towers and offered Khiva secure protection from invaders.

On each side of the fortress was a large gate called a darvaza. The western Ata-Darvaza gates were located near the Khan fortress of Kunya-Ark, the northern Bakhcha-Darvaza gates led to Urgench, the eastern Palvan-Darvaza gates faced the Amudarya River, while the southern Tash-Darvaza gates faced the Karakum desert regions.

The western main gate, Ata-Darvaza, was destroyed in 1920, but was faithfully reconstructed in the 1970s. Today, Ichan-Kala is one of the best-preserved historical cities in the Islamic world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Khiva is not only an architectural jewel, but also a symbol of the glorious past of the Great Silk Road. The city reflects the rich history of Central Asia and offers visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a bygone era. Through ongoing restoration and preservation efforts, Khiva remains a living testament to the cultural exchange and trade that once characterised this region.