Heyvak Well

Khiva is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, founded in the fifth century BC, and its origins are told in more than one way.

By one tradition the city was founded by Shem, son of the biblical Noah. After the flood Shem was wandering the desert, lay down to rest and dreamed of three hundred brightly burning torches. Taking the dream for a sign, he built a city in the shape of a ship — exactly as the torches had stood — and then dug the Heyvak well. The city's name came from it.

By another explanation it was the merchants. For centuries the Silk Road ran through Central Asia, and caravans stopped here to rest. Tasting the clear water of the spring, traders exclaimed hey vah — how fine! That is what the well was called, and later the settlement that grew around it in the middle of the desert.

The Heyvak well is still there, in a small quiet yard by the north-western wall of Ichan-Kala. During repairs the remains of a domed structure and traces of the original ancient brickwork were found here.