Khiva of old must have been an odd mix of barbarism and artistic refinement. In walking through the eastern town gate you can still see the cramped holes notched in the walls where slaves were sold, and the museums are full of displays of the imaginitive cruelty of the Khans. At the same time, all of the buildings evidence a flourishing of the arts - or at least ornamentation and craftsmanship. From tiled facades, carved wooden doors and windows, to the patterned ceilings, everything was incredibly ornamented.(6-13-05)

Description

:

Exterior Ceiling, Medressa in Khiva