Khiva

Khiva is a city in the Khorezm region of western Uzbekistan, on the left bank of the Amu Darya, with roots reaching back roughly 2,500 years as the historic capital of Khorezm. It was destroyed by Genghis Khan's forces in 1220 and later became capital of the Khivan Khanate, home to a slave market that operated from the 17th to the 19th century. Its walled inner city, Itchan Kala, holds around 94 mosques and 63 madrassahs and in 1990 became the first site in Uzbekistan and Central Asia inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.