Heading out from Khiva after lunch, we drove northeast into the heart of ancient Khorezm. The Khorezm civilization flourished between the 5th century BC and the 8th century AD as part of the broader Ancient Persian influenced territories. It consisted of many states that covered a huge area stretching from the Khiva region to the Aral Sea. Archaeological investigations have found that the area has been settled since 5000 BC.
We visited the ruins of four Khorezm towns among the 20 that have been identified in one small region. Khorezm was part of many empires including the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid and Afrighid – names that few have heard of in our part of the world. But in the 5th century BC, Herodotus described Khorezm as having greater cities than Egypt. All that remains are the thick sand walls that rise from the plains.
We spent the night at a yurt camp near Ayaz-Qala, a major regional trading centre between the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Dinner was served on long low tables inside the yurt and consisted of salads, dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, a yummy meat stew and a bottle of vodka. It was hot inside the yurt and the night was perfectly clear, so Barney and I opted to sleep outside on one of the several concrete platforms that were in place for just that purpose. It was windy and cool (my thermometer read 28 C) and the stars were brilliant. Surrounded by empty desert, we slept well.
Pictures from Ancient Khorezm...
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| Ayaz Qala |
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