Khiva

City in south-western Uzbekistan, Khiva lies on the Palvan Canal, west of the Amu Darya river, and is bordered by deserts on either side. Archaeological research indicates that the city has existed since the 6th century CE, but it was first documented in the 10th century. It became the capital of the khanate of Khiva in the 16th century, and by the 17th century the city became home to a flourishing slave market. The slaves were primarily Persian and Russian, and many worked on the Ichan-Kala (Royal Court), a walled set of historic buildings which stand out as the best maintained examples of Islamic architecture in the region. In 1920, the Russians overthrew the khan, and Khiva became capital of the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic. Cotton production continues to be the primary industry.