Ota darvoza: The Western Gate of Itchan Kala in Khiva
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Uzbekistan
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Khanate of Khiva
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Gate
On this page6 sections
History
Ota darvoza is the western gate of Itchan Kala in Khiva, Uzbekistan, built during the reign of Olloqulixon in 1828–1829. Itchan Kala is Khiva’s fortified inner town and contains the city’s principal historic monuments. The gate is also known as the Shermuhammad Gate.
A defensive and commercial gateway
Ota darvoza formed part of Khiva’s defensive system. Watchtowers flanked its passage, and an observation platform stood above the entrance. The interior also served commercial and administrative purposes, containing 13 market stalls, a covered bazaar, a customs office, a money-exchange room, and a gatekeeper’s room. Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah stood to the right of the gate, while the khan’s old palace, Kohna Ark, stood to the left.
Reconstruction and later use
The original wooden doors were removed in 1920, and the gate consequently lost its original appearance. Ota darvoza was reconstructed from archival materials between 1974 and 1978. From 1978, the reconstructed gate was adapted for use as a store. It is included in Uzbekistan’s list of immovable cultural heritage and in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the historical heritage of Khiva.
Remains
The gatehouse has a regular rectangular plan measuring 17.50 by 15.40 metres. Its elongated interior passage is open within the building and covered by two large domes with a stated diameter of 15.07 metres. Domed rooms on either side served as quarters for gatekeepers. One of these rooms leads to a chamber with a spiral staircase rising to the roof.
Gatehouse construction
Ota darvoza was built of baked brick. Its arches were shaped to help stabilize the structure while carrying the weight of the brickwork, and brick courses were combined with wooden beams. The smaller domes used the davra and balxa brick-laying methods, traditional techniques for constructing domes. The interior surfaces were plastered.
Frontispiece and doors
The tall frontispiece carries large floral designs on both sides. Its pointed-arch openings contain floral and geometric ornament, including eight-pointed stars enclosed within circular borders. The door leaves have carved floral islimi patterns, a form of Islamic floral ornament, together with geometric designs. Their central panels contain circles with eight-pointed stars.
The right-hand door bears Arabic verses from Surah al-Ikhlas, a short chapter of the Quran. The left-hand door carries the Kalima Shahada, the Islamic profession of faith, including the formula “La ilaha illallohu Muhammadur Rasululloh.” These doors are not original to Ota darvoza. They had previously stood in the courtyard of the Angarik Palace of Muhammad Amin Bahadur Khan, a later khan of Khiva, which was built near the city in 1850–1851.
