Got it. Despite the city’s size of 26 hectares, the tourist heart of Itchan Kala was compact and easily navigable on foot. And every time I thought I had taken the same road before, I found myself taking a different turn and coming across a new monument or mausoleum. Or an unfinished minaret like the squat Kalta Minor, adorned with glazed majolica tiles in stunning shades of teal and turquoise.
My favorite was the Tosh Hauli, or stone palace, built by Allakuli Khan in the mid-1830s and tucked into a corner towards the North Gate. The tiles in the rooms and courtyards of the harem area where the Khan lived with his four wives and 40 concubines featured some of the most exquisite colors and patterns to be found in the Itchan Kala, further drawing me in and again for closer inspection.
The Kunya-Ark Citadel, which is another major palatial complex here, dates from the 12th century and contains a throne room, mint, stables and a beautiful summer mosque with blue wall tiles and ceiling brown, orange and gold. I visited the Ark late in the evening and climbed the steep, narrow steps of the watchtower in search of the famous sunset over the Khiva Desert.
“Twilight is my favorite time in Khiva,” Larry told me, “because as the sun gradually sets, the city walls reveal one final gift: a panoramic view of the ancient horizon, bathed in a golden hue.” After huffing and puffing my way to the top, I was treated to a 360-degree view of not only the monuments of Itchan Kala, but also the city stretching beyond its walls. The desert sunset was indeed spectacular, a bold palette of pinks and oranges tinged with gold.