This text was produced by Nationwide Geographic Traveller (UK).
The rhythmic sound of chisel assembly wooden has echoed by way of Khiva’s streets for hundreds of years. Artisans rigorously carve ornate motifs into conventional wood columns, like the type that assist palaces and mosques throughout Uzbekistan. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
The Khiva college of woodcarving is famend for its multi-layered islimi patterns, the place stems and leaves interlace. The craft endures by way of generations of wood-workers passing on their information, preserving Khiva’s ornamental heritage alive. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
Native woods like walnut, apricot, elm and mulberry are soaked and seasoned to make them simpler to work with. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
(Learn our information to Khiva: when to go to, the place to remain, and what to do)
Right this moment, inside Khiva’s walled city (often known as Itchan Kala), workshops function dwelling colleges; apprentices study design, perforation, carving and ending. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
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Meals in Khiva is a mirrored image of town’s layered historical past, mixing the elements and flavours carried alongside the Silk Highway between China and the Mediterranean. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
At road stalls, contemporary non bread, a necessary a part of Uzbek eating tradition, emerges sizzling and golden from tandoors. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
Fried pastries often known as chebureki — a snack that’s typically stuffed with meat, cheese or potatoes — are additionally widespread. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
The heat and care put into cooking is complemented by the brilliant textiles that beautify native eating places and chaikanas (tea homes), too, showcasing patterns rooted in regional identification. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
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Wearing conventional garments, actors maintain the Silk Highway’s spirit alive by way of performances impressed by Khiva’s legacy of music, poetry and studying. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
As soon as a serious Islamic centre and residential to over 60 non secular monuments, town continues to be revered for its mosques and madrasas (colleges), together with the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
Close by, mosaic lamps are one other instance of town’s craftsmanship, casting gentle on tales of mystics, retailers and students. {Photograph} by Lorenz Berna
(Uncover different locations from Nationwide Geographic’s Better of the World 2026)
Printed within the November 2025 difficulty of Nationwide Geographic Traveller (UK).
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