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Khazarasp Fortress

The walled core of Khazarasp in Khorezm, with layers from the early 1st millennium BC and on the UNESCO tentative list since 2008.

Fortresses

About the place

Khazarasp is one of the oldest towns of Khorezm, about 60 km south-east of Khiva. The name is usually read in Persian as a thousand horses. Its deepest layers go back to the first half of the 1st millennium BC, and written sources mention the town from the 9th and 10th centuries, when it guarded the road along the Amu Darya.

The surviving walls and gates of the fortress enclose the centre of the modern town. Since 2008 the site has been on Uzbekistan's tentative list for UNESCO. A walk along the walls takes about 45 minutes and fits neatly into a drive between Khiva and Bukhara or Turtkul.

Why go

  • Layers from the 1st millennium BC
  • Walls and gates around the town centre
  • UNESCO tentative list, 2008

Sources (2)

  1. 1.en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2.whc.unesco.org

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