Gandimyan Gate

Khiva is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, whose rich architectural heritage is exhibited in the form of an open–air exposition. Within the fortress wall of Ichan Kala, which translates as “inner city", there are beautiful mosques, madrassas and minarets built in the best traditions of the Middle Ages. 

No less famous is Dishan Kala – the wall of the suburb of Khiva, which was located outside Ichan Kala and was built during the reign of Allakuli Khan.

Allakuli Khan, the fifth ruler of Khorezm from the Kungrat dynasty, was famous for his urban planning and diplomatic activities. Allakuli Khan was a well-known diplomat who, in addition to his native language, was fluent in Russian and established relations with countries such as Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, Iran and Afghanistan. 

In addition, by his order, the Tash Khauli Palace was built, which was the main residence of the Khiva khans of the XIX century. Were also erected: trading dome – Tim, Saitbai Mosque and Ak Mosque. In the shortest possible time, Dishan Kala was erected – the outer wall of the city, which limited rabad (villages located behind the inner wall of the city – Ichan Kala). 

The main purpose of the construction of Dishan Kala was to protect the city from the raids of the Turkmen tribes of the Yomud. During the construction of Allakuli Khan issued a decree that each of his subordinates, which included all residents of the city, should participate in the construction of Dishan Kala 12 days a year free of charge. Since the working population of Khiva was about two hundred thousand people, the wall with a length of 6 thousand meters, a thickness of 6 meters and a height of 8 meters was built in just three years. For the construction of the wall, sun-dried clay was used, which was called saman. Clay was taken from the Govuk Kul Lake, from where, according to legend, the Prophet Muhammad himself took clay for the construction of the Medina. The upper part of the wall was decorated with railings and a narrow embrasure for convenience in defense and combat. A moat with water was dug around the walls. 

In total, there were 10 gates in the wall, one of which was Gandimyan Darvaza, named after the village, which is located near the city gate. The village of Gandimyan, like the whole of Khiva, is rich in legends, one of which tells about the origin of the name Gandimyan.

According to legend, two brothers who lived in this village worked tirelessly day and night, engaged in agriculture and harvested crops. One day, they spent the whole day picking wheat, grinding it and sifting, after which they divided the harvest in half and went to bed. The older brother fell asleep immediately, and the younger one did not take a long time to sleep. He thought for a long time that his brother had a family, children, and they needed the harvest more than he himself. With these thoughts, he poured out half of his wheat to his older brother and only then fell asleep. His elder brother, waking up early in the morning, thought about the younger one that he was getting tired, and in general he would soon get married and pay a ransom for the bride. With these thoughts, the elder got up and poured out half of his wheat to his brother. The saint of farmers, Bobo–Dehkan, saw this and created a miracle for the brothers. When the brothers woke up in the morning, they saw a mountain of selected wheat and no matter how much they took it away, it did not end. Hence the name of the village – Gandimyan, which means “Wheat land".

One of the gates of Dishan Kala got its name in honor of this village. In 1873, it was in the village of Gandimyan that the Gandimyan Treaty was signed, according to which the Khanate of Khiva joined Russia. 

Later, during the reconstruction of the city, the Gandimyan gates were demolished, but in the 70s of the XX century they were rebuilt according to the surviving sketches and photographs.