Khiva - Bagcha Darvaza Gate

The Bagcha-Darvaza Gate, built in the 19th century, is the northern gate of Ichan-Qala in Khiva, a symmetrical structure in the fortress wall divided into rooms. The southern side, facing Ichan-Qala, is less impressive.

Unlike Tash-Darvaza, the stairs leading to the top start from the southern corners of the towers and are located on their sides, deep inside the walls of Ichan-Qala.

Dimensions of the gate, according to the plan: 18.0 x 16.0 metres, height – 8.5 metres.

Ichan-Qala fortress (inner fortress) is located in the historical centre of the old city of Khiva. Ichan-Qala occupies an area of about 30 hectares. The walls of the fortress rise to a height of 10 metres. There were darvaza (gates) in each of the four parts of the walls of Ichan-Qala in Khiva: western gate – Ata-Darvaza located in the Kunya-Ark fortress, northern gate – Bagcha-Darvaza, eastern gate – Palvan-Darvaza and southern gate – Tash-Darvaza.

The structures to defend the city were built over decades and centuries, so you can find the structures built in the XIV century or in other eras. There are historical forts, tombs, palaces and mosques, dwellings and bathhouses. Ichan-Kala is a special town within the city as it lives with its original culture and preserves its ancient traditions. According to legend, the fortress was built from the same type of mud as Medina, which was built by the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.V.).

There are numerous monuments in the historic city of Ichan-Qala. They are magnificent palaces and mosques, madrasahs and mausoleums, but also caravanserais. Since 1990, the mysterious and fascinating city of Ichan-Qala has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.