Khiva, a former Khanate

The walls of Khiva, a city of approximately 50,000 people, first recorded by Muslim travellers in the 10th century, although archaeologists assert that the city has existed since the 6th century. By the early 17th century, Khiva had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva. In 1873, Russian General Konstantin von Kaufmann launched an attack on the city, which fell on 28 May 1873.