Hazarasp in Khiva, Uzbekistan

Hazarasp, Khiva

On a road to Khiva in the south of Kho-rezm stands one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia - Hazarasp. For three millennia it was one of the main trading-craft and political centers of Khorezm oasis. Hazarasp is protected by strong fortifications with towers. According to written sources in the 8th-10th centuries there were a lot of markets in the city. Hazarasp canal connected the city with the Amu Darya rivev. Some information about Hazarasp is kept in descriptions of military campaigns organized by Mahmud Gaznevi and Sultan Sandjar between nth and 12th centuries. In the 13th century the city-fortress of Hazarasp was surrounded by a water ditch. In 18th-19th centuries Hazarasp was the second city of Khivan khanate after Khiva.