Beth MacDonald Stone

Day 11, Part 2: Our first magical evening in Khiva! 🇺🇿✨

I think Khiva might just be one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. Absolutely breathtaking!

This ancient, double-walled fortress city, with its magnificent Itchan Kala old town, feels almost as though it has risen straight out of the earth. The colours, textures and architecture are all in these gorgeous sandy, sunbaked tones. It’s like stepping into another world, or another century!

Our evening began with a fascinating introduction to traditional woodcarving. We saw the most extraordinary folding bookstand, intricately carved from a single piece of wood, with ten interconnected layers that unfold into different configurations. The ingenuity and craftsmanship were simply mind-blowing!

We also learned about traditional carpet weaving, watching the incredible precision and skill required to create each rug, one tiny knot at a time. Such beautiful work, and so much patience!

Then it was time for a little wander through the ancient streets, followed by dinner on a rooftop terrace as the sun set over this spectacular city. The golden evening light against those sandy walls was simply magical. 🌅❤️

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed the evening. Looking at them already brings back such wonderful memories.

Khiva, you have completely stolen my heart! ❤️

#khiva #uzbekistan #silkroad #traditionalcrafts