Khiva

Detail of pillar base, of Prayer Hall, Juma Mosque, Khiva, Uzbekistan, pictured on July 6, 2010, in the morning. The Juma Mosque, Khiva's main Friday Mosque is, unusally, a single storey building, whose 18th century architects tried to preserve the characteristics of its 10th century predecessor. The 45x55 metre prayer hall contains 212 10th-18th century pillars of varying form and decoration. Some are from the ancient mosque on the same site, others are battle trophies. They are remarkable not only for their fine carving and decoration but also for the design of the lower sections in the form of a vase with flowering shoots. Khiva, ancient and remote, is the most intact Silk Road city. Ichan Kala, its old town, was the first site in Uzbekistan to become a World Heritage Site(1991). Picture by Manuel Cohen

Picture No

13425416

Media ID

45093594

Size

3744px x 5616px (5.7MB)

Credit

Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans

Source

Photograph by Manuel Cohen