Khiva, Uzbekistan: the Mysterious City at dawn

Exploring the cobbled streets of the walled city of Khiva at dawn was the highlight of our trip to Uzbekistan. Golden light, soft cotton clouds, (almost) deserted streets, not a sound apart from birdsong: in these exceptional conditions, the sleeping city seemed almost like a mirage in the middle of the desert. 

Khiva was a trading post along the legendary Silk Road. At the time, it was the last stop for caravans before crossing the Karakum desert. The ancient walled city has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990.

After spending the night in a medersa (a religious school) hat has been converted into a hotel, we wandered around The Mysterious City at sunrise. 

At daybreak, when the streets are still deserted but the Khiva is slowly starting to wake, we felt like we had the walled city of Itchan Kala all to ourselves – a feeling heightened by the fact that apart from a handful of hotels, the old town has very few inhabitants. 

While the streets are bustling with people in the daytime, we only ran into a couple of street sweepers, a few merchants returning from morning prayer before opening their market stalls, and the occasional tourist who, like us, had been drawn to the quiet of dawn. 

The first light of day quickly gave way to pale pastel colors, which then turned to stunning shades of copper and gold. 

Gradually, the light grew more and more intense, until the buildings all around us were bathed in warm, blushing hues:

• the Islam Khodja Minaret: Khiva’s tallest (44.5 m) and most recent (1910) minaret

• the deep teal dome of Pahlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum  

• Kalta Minor: this unfinished 19th-century minaret, covered in glazed turquoise and teal bricks and earthenware, is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

The low light was particularly striking against the ochre façades, cerulean domes, and towering minarets, with a backdrop of soft, full clouds.

This moment out of time will remain one of the most memorable experiences from our trip along the Silk Road.

Don’t miss the full article about our trip along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan