Itchan Kala East Gate — Attraction in Khiva

East Gate of Itchan Kala.

The East Gate of Itchan Kala, also known as Palvan Darvoza (“Gate of the Strongman”), is one of the principal entrances into Khiva’s majestic inner city — a UNESCO World Heritage Site rich with history, culture, and architecture. This gateway is more than a passage through ancient walls; it is a threshold into centuries of Silk Road legacy.

Originally constructed in the 19th century, the East Gate served as the main commercial entrance to Itchan Kala. Its strategic placement made it the busiest of all gates, welcoming traders, craftsmen, and caravans laden with goods from Central Asia, Persia, and beyond. The gate’s solid brick towers, arched ceilings, and decorative battlements embody the defensive and ceremonial architecture of the Khivan khanate.

Nearby, visitors can find historic caravanserais and bustling markets that once surrounded the gate — a reminder of Khiva’s vibrant mercantile life. The area also housed administrative buildings and even places of judgment, reinforcing the gate’s importance in both economic and civic life.

Today, entering through the East Gate is a symbolic experience — an invitation into a living museum of mudbrick palaces, turquoise minarets, and Islamic artistry. It marks the beginning of a journey into one of the most beautifully preserved cities on the...

The eastern gate of Ichan-Kala also used as trade stalls. The gate looks like "dash kucha" (a stone corridor). The structure is stretched from west to east, the facades are shaped as arch portals, with six domes blocking the passageway and side arches accommodating trading stalls, two on each side. At the entrance, from the side of Ichan-Kala, there is an inscription reading "Shakhri Khiva" (Khiva city), where letters stand for figures giving the construction date as 1221, i.e. 1806 AD. This is the oldest part of the building, which is connected with Anushakhan's bath-house and blocked with two small domes. The gate was finished by Allakulykhan in 1835. To the right of the gate at the exit from Ichan-Kala there used to be a slave market until 1873 and niches inside the gate were where fugitive and rebellious slaves were awaiting their lot. To the right of the gate at the exit from Ichan-Kala there used to be a slave market down to1873 and niches inside the gate were where fugitive and rebellious slaves were...

Shaharning sharqiy tomonidagi uch ming yillik tarixga ega bo‘lgan eng qadimgi darvoza. Qadimda bu darvoza shaharning bosh kirish eshigi bo‘lib, uni bitta mirshab boshchiligida yettita navkar qo‘riqlagan. Qal’a devorining atrofini Amudaryodan keladigan suv bilan o‘rab olgan kanal bo‘lgani uchun, darvoza oldida kechalari ko‘tarib qo‘yiladigan ko‘prik bo‘lgan. Bu darvozaning mirshabi xon saroyi Arkning darvozasidagi mirshab bilan teng miqdorda maosh olgan. Darvoza 1806 yilda Eltuzarxon tomonidan pishgan g‘ishtdan qayta qurilgan. Olloqulixon madrasasining qurilishi   natijasida ichki sahni uzaytirilgan. Chiroyli koshin plitkalar bilan bezatilgani uchun «Gul darvoza» nomini ham olgan, shuningdek, xalq uni “Darvozai sharqiya”, “Poshshob darvoza”, “Qorong‘u darvoza” nomlari bilan ham atagan. Darvoza ichida savdo rastalari, qorovulxonalar joylashgan. Ichki uzunligi 52, eni 7  metr. Bu darvoza oltita gumbaz bilan bostirilgan bo‘lib, har gumbaz ostida (janub va shimoliy tomondan) ikkitadan hujralar qurilgan, bu hujralar va darvoza yo‘laklari bozor vazifasini bajargan. Polvon darvoza deb nom olishiga  bu darvozadan Pahlavon hovuziga va Pahlavon Ahmad Zamjiy qabristoniga chiqilishi sabab bo‘lgan.  Darvozaxonaning har ikkala tomoniga o‘rnatilgan katta darvoza eshiklari ustiga chiroyli koshinlar o‘rnatilgan bo‘lib, bu koshinlarga bir xil o‘lcham va mazmundagi yozuvlar yozilgan. Bugungi kunda Darvoza ichida savdo shoxobchalari bo‘lgan...