Khiva ( Uzbek Xiva in ) is a town of Ouzbékistan, it located at the North-West of this country. Its old name, Khwarezm , Khorezm , etc, are that of the historical area of which it was the capital.

According to the legend, Khiva was founded at the place where Sem (the son of Noah) dug the Keivah well. Khiva was until the beginning of the century the capital of the Khorezm (which was a vassal kingdom of the Perse). The particularly arid area developed a complex system of irrigation starting from thousand-year-old IIe front J. - C. and was visited by various conquerors: Persian, Greek, Arab, Mongolian, Uzbek.

It is the birthplace of the mathematician Abou Abdallah Muḥammad Ben Mūsa ʾal-Khuwārizmī (towards 780 - towards 850), also called Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Khorezmi, etc

It is in the vicinity that was born the large scientist encyclopedist Al-Biruni (973 - 1048).

The Khanat de Khiva (1512 - 1920) was one of the three khanats Uzbek resulting from the dislocation of the Khanat de Djaghataï, with those of Bukhara (which included Samarkand) and of Kokand.

Itchan Kala is the interior city of Khiva, cut off behind from the high brick walls of ten meters, belonging to the old oasis, which was the ultimate stage of the caravaneers before crossing the desert in direction of the Iran. Although having preserved few very old monuments, it constitutes a coherent example and preserved well from Moslem architecture of the Central Asia with remarkable constructions like the Djouma mosque, the mausoleums and the medersa and the two splendid palates built at the beginning of the XIXe century by the khan Went-Kouli.

Since 1990, the district of Itchan Kala de Khiva belongs to the World heritage of UNESCO.