The sun was setting on my first full day in Khiva, and I was sitting on a ledge watching it sink behind a horizon punctuated by minarets and mosques. Â The day had been a full one, wandering through the Ichon-Qala fortress which encompasses most of the remaining Old Town. Â Now, merely sitting and watching the sunset in Khiva was enough for me.
And what a beautiful sunset. The air was slightly hazy, the sun barely visible as it dipped closer and closer to the horizon. The mini-minaret on the madrasah across the street was decorated in tiles of green and white.
As the skies turned bloody, I thought of a story about Khiva’s past I’d read in my Lonely Planet guide. The year was 1700, and Khiva was under attack. Harassment from nomadic tribes pushed Khan Shah Niyaz to the point where he offered to submit to Russia in return for aid. Eight years later, Tsar Peter sent an expedition, but it wasn’t until a second expedition was launched in 1716-17 that Russian forces–up to 4000 soldiers led by Prince Tserkaski–actually made it to Khiva.
They came under the guise of friendship, but there were other reasons. Beyond the Khanate lay India and all the trading opportunities Russia desired. Unfortunately for the Russians, there was a new khan, and he was not impressed with Russia’s delayed response. Moreover, he had no desire to submit to Russian rule. He expressed his regret that the city could not accommodate so many garrisoned troops. He told the prince to disperse them throughout the nearby villages, and Prince Tserkaski–presumably in an effort to improve relations with the khan–complied.
Once the Russian troops were divided, Khivan soldiers slaughtered almost all of them. Most of the survivors were enslaved, and Prince Tserkaski’s head was sent to the khan’s rival in Bukhara. Surprisingly, there was no reprisal from Russia.
The sun was getting lower, just becoming visible as it dropped down below the dome of the mosque in the distance. Some other guests came up to the roof briefly, but after saying hello and gazing at the horizon for a few moments they returned downstairs.
Khiva has a very colorful past with Russia, further illustrated by another tale over a century after the slaughter of Prince Tserkaski and his troops. This story took place during the storied Great Game between Britain and Russia.
It was the 1830s, and Khiva was still a powerful player in the Central Asian slave trade. Many Russian prisoners were among the enslaved, giving Russia a very valid excuse to make forays closer and closer to the Khanate. In 1839, a force of over 5,000 soldiers and 10,000 camels left Orenburg with the goal of freeing all the Russian prisoners. If they just so happened to increase the boundaries of the Russian Empire and stymie the expansion of the British–who had just taken Afghanistan–that would be delightful. Unbeknownst to the khan, the force had to turn back due to extremely harsh weather.
Enter a British captain by the name of James Abbott, who was dispatched in disguise from Herat to Khiva, where he convinced the khan to dispatch him as an emissary to Russia in order to negotiate the release of the Russian slaves. He had a difficult journey, involving betrayal and bandits, but eventually made it to St. Petersburg. Before he was successful, however, another British officer arrived in Khiva and succeeded in convincing the khan to release all the captives and escort them to the nearest Russian garrison. This removed Russia’s primary validation for expansion into the region and was a huge propaganda victory for the British.
It was all for naught, however, for on May 28th, 1873, Khiva fell to General Von Kaufman and his army of 13,000 Russian infantry and cavalry.
All that history, and I was looking out over where it all took place. Goosebumps prickled my arms, and they weren’t just from the cold. I couldn’t wait to explore the city more, but that could wait until the next day. For the moment, I was content to watch the dying embers of the day.
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Michael Taylor
Love the way you write, combining what you’re seeing at the moment with recollections of something you read in the past. I started collecting sunsets at the age of 18 when I made my first trip to Hawai’i. Over the years I have seen oh, so many sunsets, but only a few sunrises as I rarely arise at dawn. The most memorable sunrise was one I saw in Vietnam. I was staying at lovely beach resort halfway between Hanoi and Danang. I had left the drapes open because I prefer to awake to sun light rather than alarm clocks. At about 4 am, I awoke with a start. I looked out the window and saw the first stirrings of a magnificent sunrise that would slowly set the entire sky ablaze. I grabbed and camera and spent the next 2 hours wandering up and down the beach in my bare feet snapping the most gorgeous shots.
Nathan Anderson
Thank you, Michael! That sounds like an amazing sunrise! Like you, I don’t often see those, but when I do they’re pretty awesome 🙂
Rafiqua Israel (@Rafiqua_Israel)
Interesting mini history lesson right here! I never even knew this place existed. I LOVE the sunset photos. So beautiful. The buildings almost don’t even look real!
Nathan Anderson
It was so hard to put my camera away and enjoy the sunset every minute or so… it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen!
Laura
Awesome post! I really enjoy how thorough your posts are. I know nothing about the history of Khiva, so it was interesting to read and imagine. The sunset photographs are amazing as well!
Nathan Anderson
Thanks! I really didn’t know much before I came either. It was really interesting to learn about it as I explored 🙂
Hedgers Abroad
Such a great sunset over what I’m sure is a more amazing city than I understand. Thank you so much for the history and context for the places you are showing off. Your walking tour was splendid and it’s fun to imagine you sitting on rooftops imagining the history of battles that happened not so long ago on the streets below.
Nathan Anderson
You’re welcome, and thanks for reading! Seriously missing that rooftop; it’s just not the same back in the States!
Wendy Flor
Whoaa! The interweaving of history and sunset. That was beautiful. Your sunset photos are gorgeous.
Again, your history lesson isn’t just in the books. You’re there, watching and feeling the place. Yours isn’t just a study of history. You make it a lifestyle. Thanks for sharing.
Nathan Anderson
Thanks for reading! I enjoy reading about history, but actually seeing it firsthand is so much more engaging. Hoping to get out and do some more exploration soon!
Duke Stewart
What a beautiful and gripping story, Nathan! Of course, leave it to the British to fix/break everything. Lol. I loved the way you threaded that in there along with the sunset. You had this history major going every inch of the way.
Golden Skies would have to be my favorite, if I were to choose. Thanks for sharing this, Nathan. Always a wonderful story here!
Nathan Anderson
Yeah, between reading about these stories and a book about T.E. Lawrence, the British had their hands in everything back in the day! So interesting. Thanks for reading!
usaabroad
Absolutely amazing sunset and photos! Thanks for the history lesson lesson as well, It’s always interesting to learn about a country’s past, especially when you’re traveling through it.
Nathan Anderson
Agreed! Thanks for reading, Laura!
Lindsay @ The Neverending Wanderlust
Yet again, your post takes me away far far from my desk and I am truly engaged with your story. I’ve never been a history buff, but your writing makes it easy to understand and makes me thirst for more! Thanks for sharing this tale and your fantastic photos, I truly hope to see some of these places!
Nathan Anderson
Thanks for reading, Lindsay! I’m glad this post took you to Khiva for a bit, it’s a place worth experiencing 🙂 I hope you make it there someday!
Katie Featherstone
Despite having a degree in History I know barely anything about this part of the world, so thank-you. Beautiful photo too!
renucas
Beautiful! Sunsets are usually a highlight of any trip. 🙂
Nathan Anderson
Agreed! They never get old 🙂