Foto: The mud city wall of Khiva (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Uzbekistan - The old town of Khiva is enclosed by a 10-meter-high mudbrick city wall. As I enter through the west gate, souvenir vendors are already lining up to sell me all kinds of items. Unfortunately for them, I’m not buying. I head for the 12th-century palace Kukhna Ark. I quickly learn that I need an all-access ticket to enter. This ticket grants admission to all buildings in Khiva. It’s odd that they use the official exchange rate to calculate the price in dollars. At that rate, one dollar is worth only 3,000 som, whereas on the black market I can get 6,000 som per dollar—twice as much. So it's much more advantageous to pay in som. This is the case everywhere they use the official rate. I just don’t understand how the discrepancy between the official and black-market rates can be so large. Inside the Ark, I visit the mosque, the throne room, and I climb the watchtower. From the top, I have a magnificent view of the imposing mudbrick city wall and the mosques and madrassas of Khiva. I walk through the town and visit several buildings. It feels as though time has stood still here. Khiva was once one of the key cities along the Silk Road. I’m more interested in the buildings themselves than in the displayed collections inside. The Juma Mosque dates back to the 10th century. It has 212 wooden pillars supporting the roof. Through a low opening, I find a spiral staircase that leads up the 47-meter-high Juma Minaret. The staircase is dark, and the steps are steep. From the top of the minaret, I have a spectacular view over old Khiva. I wander further through the city. A mosque here, an old Qur'anic school there. At the east gate, I enter the old bazaar. This used to be Khiva’s main trading place. Since a new bazaar was opened just outside the gate, this old one is now mainly filled with souvenir sellers. In the new bazaar and the surrounding streets, a wide variety of everyday goods are sold. Nothing here feels touristy. I walk back past the now-closed palace and the adjacent Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum. Beneath the blue-green dome lies a beautifully tiled chamber. I remove my shoes and step inside. In a side room is the tomb of Pakhlavan Mahmoud, a national poet and hero. I hesitate about entering, but a woman sees my doubt and gestures for me to follow her. Several people are kneeling in prayer by the tomb. It’s moving.
Chorsu Bazaar in old Tashkent
Uzbekistan - I take a taxi to the Plov Center. Plov (or pilaf) is the national dish of Uzbekistan — a one-pot meal with rice and lamb. Uzbeks come to the Plov Center to eat plov for lunch. I sit down at a table and order a plate of plov. Then I continue to the old ...
Mosques and madrasas in Bukhara
Uzbekistan - Bukhara is best explored simply by walking around. The old city center is relatively small. Many of the squares around the bazaar are surrounded by old madrassas (Qur'anic schools). Some are still in use, others have been taken over by tourist vendors. ...
Samarkand Registan Square
Uzbekistan - When I arrive at Registan Square, it’s already busy with tourists. I walk onto the square. Immediately, a guard approaches me. “Ticket, ticket!” he says. I look around in surprise. Apparently, tourists need a ticket just to walk onto the square. ...
The ruins of Timurs palace
Uzbekistan - Shahr-i Sabz – a city in Uzbekistan, Central Asia – was intended by Timur to become his capital in the 14th century. The town or village forms a rectangular enclosure surrounded by a wall about 4 km in circumference and up to 5 meters thick in places. ...