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Kheyvak well in Khiva
Khiva city is regarded as one of the oldest one in the Central Asian region. It was founded in the 5th century BC. There are a lot of folk tales about its origin and name. Some of them mention the role of the Kheyvak (or heyvak) well for Khiva.
In a small cozy courtyard of Khiva near the north-western wall of Ichan-Kala, the Kheyvak well is situated. The well is ancient; according to one of the legends, it is as old as the city. During the repair of the well, even the remains of a cupola structure were found, as well as traces of the original ancient masonry.
If one peers into the cool twilight of the heyvak well, he will notice that the well's masonry in the upper tier is octahedral; on the average layer it is quadrangular; in the lower tier - cylindrical.
One of the myths that is actively disseminated, says that Khiva was based by Sim, the son of famous Noah. It is believed that at the end of the biblical flood, Sim for a long time was wandering in the desert and decided to lie down to rest. In his dream he saw about three hundred of multi-colored torches. This dream was sent to Sim as an omen. At that place he restored the town, which had the form of a ship, predicted in a dream. After it Sim dug a deep well "Kheyvak", which gave the name of the city.
Adherents of another theory conjecture that it was here where the Silk Road passed. Some scientists of the historical community pass an opinion that at the site of the future Khiva, rich traders who came from different countries stopped to stay overnight and eat. Travelers, exhausted by a long transition, were refreshed with cool water from a local source, while exclaiming "Hey vah!" ("Oh, how beautiful"). This joyful exclamation gave the name of this point ("heyvak"), which then became the name for the whole city.
Today, anyone who wants to admire Khiva well Kheyvak can do it. It is actively maintained in good condition by the old inhabitants of the city.
Peopletravel Company, in turn, also offers a fascinating excursion of Khiva with a visit to the Heyvak well.
Other Sightseeing Opportunities in Khiva
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