Itchan Kala was perhaps the site in uzbekistan that surprised me the most. I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I did. This was because of two reasons:

1. Itchan Kala is a small enclosed city almost devoid of people. A sort of open museum nowadays for all intents and purposes.

2. Itchan Kala is strikingly modern and homogenous. most of its buildings were built between the 18th and 20th century. and I have a strong preference towards old and heterogeneous cities. 

So it wasn't looking good... 

The visiting method was also rather strange and a bit frustrating. There's a ticket you need to buy to enter most sites inside the city. It includes kunya arq, toshvoli palace and a near infinite array of frankly terrible museums. I seriously recommend passing on most of them. 

The actual highlights of the city are the two palaces (kunya arq and toshvoli) and the pahlavi mausoleum. The Friday mosque is interesting though the comparisons to the great mosque of corduba are rather exaggerated. 

Now onto why I liked the place. 

Khiva represent imo the epitome of decoration in Uzbek architecture. The Pahlavan mausoleum and the royal halls are covered head to toe in bright blue and white faience, giving the walls an almost kaleidoscopic effect. A far cry from the much more restrained walls of the gur e amir.

Khiva also brings to the table the very best sculpted pillars in uzbekistan with an unparalleled level of detail. 

So while I expected to see a watered down version of the timurid architecture of Samarkand I instead found a refreshing and vibrant take on the style, which suplants size with an obsession with colour. 

Similarly, even though itchan Kala has very much been abandoned by its former inhabitants, it actually felt less touristic than Bukhara. So it wasn't that much of a deal breaker. Instead the city felt very cohesive and walkable which made the experience very enjoyable. 

BTW I recommend going to the nearby nurullaboy palace, if only to see the hilariously syncretic take of the emirs of khiva of a modern European palace. The ceramic fireplaces are perhaps the highlight. However the adjacent museum was surprisingly good, informative and extensive (perhaps even too much). 

Oh and if you go up Islam khoya Minar, please be ready for the leg pain, especially if you're short. The steps are about half a Metre tall and there's 118 of them. The ascent is honestly brutal. I'm not sure the views were worth it and I love climbing up towers. 

(the photo is from the toshvoli palace audience hall)