Khiva, a former Khanate
The unfinished turquoise-tiled Kalta Minor Minaret and the entrance gate to the Ko'hna Ark, the Khiva rulers’ own fortress and residence, first built in the 12th century by Oq Shihbobo, then expanded in the 17th century by Muhammad-Erenk Khan (1687-1688). It contained the Khan's mosque, residence, supreme court, reception (kurinysh-khan), powder mill, arsenal, mint, registry, harem, kitchens, stables, guardhouse and other structures; just after the West gate in Ichon Qala, Khiva's walled inner city.
Photo by Ludo Kuipers, Tue Jun 11, 2013